In today’s non-traditional media world, it takes a lot to get people talking about your brand, but that was the ask from client Texas DQ. We embraced the challenge and put our strategic minds together to come up with a way to build cultural relevance and boost some positive talk value for the brand — in a way that would resonate with DQ fans in the Lone Star State.
Appealing to Texans’ strong sense of tradition and pride is something DQ continues to excel at: the brand is among the most nostalgic in its category. But we needed to give them a reason to talk about the brand today. We were inspired by some recent trends involving QSR celebrity meals and unique collabs and came to the conclusion that a trend mash-up with a distinctly Texas feel would resonate well with the audience.
It was a natural fit that we knew would appeal to consumers’ love for brand collabs: tapping into DQ’s existing relationship with Texas born-and-bred country artist Josh Abbott. To do that, we set out to create a new kind of celebrity fare: The Josh Abbott Meal. By combining Josh’s actual DQ favorites with a limited-time signature cup, we could create a traffic-driving novelty that had its roots in DQ’s deep Texas heritage. Put simply, it was an authentic celebrity meal that also rang true to the brand. Representing Texans everywhere, we positioned The Josh Abbott Meal as a proud DQ tribute. Then we leaned in.
Reaching across a variety of mediums, the campaign was designed to resonate with DQ customers, Texas country music fans, and media outlets who love to talk about celebrity. With a tone that communicated that this wasn’t just your typical celeb collab, but a glimpse behind the scenes into Josh’s go-to meal. This was the real deal, we didn’t just put Josh’s name on it. To make sure that brand love came through, we worked closely with Josh on all elements of the campaign, from the TV spot to the limited edition Josh Abbott x Texas DQ hat in Josh’s signature style, and high-quality keepsake cup. While shooting the TV spots, we also captured lifestyle photography of Josh at DQ to be used when the story made headlines in news outlets statewide.
– Eater.com
The TV spots captured real-life interactions between Josh and his band members on the road as their tour bus makes a pit stop at their favorite place to grab treats and eats. The spots include a special acoustic version of the famous “That’s What I Like About Texas” jingle which Josh Abbott helped update last year. Radio spots aired across the state including on country music stations with an audience that appreciated a celebrity collab with their genre.
“DIG IN” RADIO
Images of Josh with his signature Meal took over the DQ social media, while we sent collab merch to influencers in Josh’s orbit, including fellow artists, reporters and collegiate football coaches.
– Lou Romanus, CEO, Texas Dairy Queen Operators’ Council
With record-setting new guest counts during the promotion period, including one of the highest YoY sales-comping months for the year, the campaign achieved its business performance goals. Positive sentiment abounded as well, as the brand added 12x more Instagram followers than an average month, received 1.3K giveaway entries and 99% positive sentiment online and through earned PR. With merch shoutouts from chart-topping Texas country music artists and earned media callouts, the campaign had people talking.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Production Company: Camp Lucky
Director: Jeff Bednarz
Executive Producer: Brandon Tapp
Producer: Alex Bronner
Agency Producer: Chelsea Sevadjian
Editor: Tim Bird
Colorist: Steve Franko
Sound Design: Luminous Sound
Lifestyle Photography: Ian Kasnoff
Food Photography: Rusty Hill
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