More and more restaurant chains are partnering up to offer unique products, menu items, and experiences to get guests through the doors. In the last year, it seems like even more chains are finding ways to use celebrity partnerships to launch, endorse, and promote new restaurant LTOs.
Recently, Ryan Reynolds announced his partnership with Tim Hortons to offer Ryan’s Scrambled Eggs Loaded Breakfast in American and Canadian locations. The menu item includes two scrambled eggs, crispy hashbrowns, a choice of sausage crumble or bacon strips, and Tim Hortons’ chipotle sauce. The enthusiastic marketing campaign includes television commercials and has been featured on Ryan’s and Tim Hortons’ social media channels.
Arby’s gets saucy with its new celebrity partners, Anthony Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer. The two comedians are founders of the AC Barbeque brand and are offering two new sandwiches, along with sauces for Arby’s product line. The Quarter Pound Brisket Sandwich and the Quarter Pound Pulled Pork Sandwich can both be ordered with AC Barbecue sauces at participating locations for a limited time only.
Chili’s recently revealed its partnership with Tiffany Thiessen to debut a new ’90s-themed cocktail being added to the menu. A recent ad features the actress enjoying the new Radical ‘Rita, a beverage crafted with Lunazul blanco tequila, Monin dragonfruit, a float of blue Curaçao, house-made sour, garnished with a lime wedge and a collection of ’90s-inspired swizzle sticks. The beverage is available at select Chili’s locations throughout May.
Even convenience stores are getting in on the celebrity partnership trend, with 7-Eleven recently announcing that they are working with Punk Bunny and Green Day to offer an exclusive new Slurpee flavour, Kerplunk Kandy Grape. The new menu item is a tribute to the band’s 1992 album “Kerplunk!” and combines cotton candy with grape flavour.
Influencer marketing resonates with consumers; 69% of consumers (including those in the restaurant industry) trust recommendations from influencers over brands. Partnering with celebrities allows restaurants and brands to leverage celebrity fame and audience in a way that builds trust and attracts attention for their business.
Photo courtesy of Chili’s The Radical ‘Rita at Chili’s
