For a long time, word of mouth was considered the best way for restaurants to bring in loyal customers. But in today’s competitive market, with new restaurants coming onto the scene faster than a carton of french fries, food service businesses need to do more to get customers through the door.
From branded rap albums to 3D billboards, restaurants are always finding fresh new ways to attract customers. And in this article, I’ve pulled together some of the best restaurant marketing campaigns that you can take inspiration from when creating your own restaurant marketing strategies.
Here’s a roundup of restaurant marketing campaigns that boosted brand loyalty:
- McDonald’s – Raise Your Arches (2023)
- Burger King – Birthdays Should Be Happy (2019)
- KFC – Finger Lickin’ Good (2020)
- Pizza Hut – Official Sponsor of Dominoes (2024)
- Domino’s – JOMO (2019)
- Subway – Subway in the Sky (2023)
- Taco Bell – Belluminatl (2017)
- Wendy’s – We Beefin’? (2018)
- Chipotle – Back to the Start (2013)
- Chick-Fil-A – Eat Mor Chikin (1995 –)
- Starbucks – What’s Your Name (2019)
Ready to take a closer look at each one? Then pull up a chair and let’s dig in.
1. McDonald’s – Raise Your Arches (2023)
McDonald’s has created some of the best food ads around. But this multichannel masterpiece springs to mind as one of the best McDonald’s marketing campaigns.
The campaign kicked off with a high-energy video ad, showing one woman raising her eyebrows (aka her “arches”) to suggest to her colleague that they head to McDonald’s for a bite to eat. And within just a few seconds, every person from manager to maintenance man is joining them as they parade through the building.
What started with the genius realization that eyebrows resemble McDonald’s iconic Golden Arches, turned into a universally understood gesture that created an instant and memorable connection to the brand.
Another notable thing about this campaign is the attention to detail in the set and costume design, helping McDonald’s capture the spirit of its brand in a brilliantly understated way.
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2. Burger King – Birthdays Should Be Happy (2019)
Image source: MullenLowe
I couldn’t make a list of the best restaurant campaigns without a nod to the rivalry between McDonald’s and Burger King, which has brought us decades of entertaining ads.
This Burger King campaign pulls on the insight that for a lot of kids, clowns can be utterly terrifying. The brand uses this to fuel its ongoing beef with McDonald’s by telling its audience that they can book their kids’ “clown-free” birthday party.
Like many brands, Burger King is known to use nostalgia to create a connection with its audience. And the ‘90s-inspired photos used in this outdoor campaign make it all the more loveable. Pretty sure you’d find a few of these in my mom’s old photo albums!
3. KFC – Finger Lickin’ Good (2020)
Image source: Mother
KFC’s “Finger lickin’ good” slogan is one of the most famous advertising taglines of all time. While COVID-19 put the line on hold for over a year and squashed the initial success of this campaign, it’s still a great piece of restaurant marketing that deserves its spot on the list.
As with most great advertising, the beauty of this campaign lies in its sheer simplicity. The posters are beautifully bare, with the brand tagline being communicated in visuals rather than words (a fantastic example of show don’t tell).
KFC customers’ are at the heart of this restaurant marketing campaign, pictured licking their fingers in delight after munching into some crispy fried chicken. So good.
4. Pizza Hut – Official Sponsor of Dominoes (2024)
Image source: Campaign US
Pizza Hut hasn’t really been known for its restaurant marketing campaigns. So when this teaser campaign came out in the summer of 2024, folk were both surprised and delighted to see the brand taking such a playful turn in its restaurant marketing strategy.
The campaign took to the streets on a fleet of digital advertising vans, letting people know that the multinational pizza chain is ‘the official partner of the 2024 World Championship Domino Tournament’ (yep, that’s a thing). This was then amplified on social media and quickly became a viral marketing campaign that got everyone talking.
And it gets better. The brand then went on to collaborate with the Brixton Immortals Domino Club where they filmed branded content of the players eating pizza to reinforce the campaign message of ‘People who like Dominoes love Pizza Hut’.
5. Domino’s – JOMO (2019)
I’m sure we’ve all experienced FOMO (the fear of missing out) at some point in our lives. But when Domino’s flipped this concept on its head with its 2019 JOMO campaign, which stands for the “joy of missing out”, it went down a treat.
Simply put, the brand used the campaign to encourage its target audience to swap life’s social pressures for a delicious slice of pizza. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me!
The video campaign is funny and comforting, reassuring us that ‘that thing’ we’re missing out on is probably not all that enjoyable. Relatable, entertaining, and brilliantly on brand for Domino’s.
6. Subway – Subway in the Sky (2023)
Image source: PR week
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Nope, it’s a 180-foot Subway sandwich restaurant in a blimp. That’s right, Subway reached restaurant marketing success by offering 2023’s Super Bowl fans the chance to enjoy a free meal in a floating footlong restaurant 1,000 feet above the ground.
This out of home (OOH) and PR campaign flew around the US, stopping in cities such as Kansas, Atlanta, Orlando, and Miami. It got over 10,000 online applicants and 200 lucky passengers over just a couple weeks.
To generate earned media, the brand released a teaser video of employees wrapping the blimp in the Subway cover. Subway then continued to post on its own social media TikTok and Instagram channels to encourage people to enter the competition.
7. Taco Bell – Belluminati (2017)
When it comes to great value, Taco Bell is one of the first restaurants to come to mind, with well over 20 $1 menu items available. Which is exactly what inspired this idea that “there’s a powerful connection between the dollar and Taco Bell” and anyone that buys from the dollar menu is part of the “Belluminati”. Pretty bonkers, eh? That’s what made it so successful.
What started out as a tongue-and-cheek conspiracy theory quickly led to the launch of Belluminati hats, t-shirts, pins, patches, and candles – all playing into the idea that those who order from the dollar menu are part of something bigger.
As well as cleverly championing a sense of community among its target audience, the campaign demonstrated the power of storytelling to really bring a brand to life. It also tapped into pop culture and the rise in conspiracy theories to deliver a restaurant marketing campaign unlike any other.
8. Wendy’s – We Beefin’? (2018)
Image source: Wendy’s
To showcase Wendy’s commitment to using fresh ingredients, the fast food chain created a collection of fresh beats for an EP that ended up topping the music charts in the US at the time.
The marketing campaign kicked off with a series of comedic songs, where Wendy’s rapped about its high-quality beef while making playful digs at its competitors.
The brand’s music videos were then amplified across social media, with customers encouraged to share their own beef-related stories using the hashtag #WeBeefin for some juicy user generated content. Wendy’s even created some custom GIFs and memes to promote the campaign online.
By going down a different route to traditional marketing campaigns, Wendy’s was able to set itself apart from its customers, grow brand awareness, and increase sales.
9. Chipotle – Back to the Start (2013)
The fast food industry (and let’s be honest, the food industry as a whole) has been known to put profit over quality and sustainability in food production. Chipotle wanted to tackle this image problem and challenge inhumane farming practices. The result is one of the most moving restaurant marketing ads in history.
The campaign kicked off with a beautifully animated short film featuring Willie Nelson’s cover of Coldplay’s “The Scientist”. The video tells the story of a farmer who boldly shifts from industrialized farming methods back to more sustainable, humane practices.
The video packed a serious punch on the emotional front, by highlighting the real effects of factory farming and, in doing so, showcasing Chipotle’s commitment to sourcing ingredients responsibly.
It’s fair to say that a lot of restaurants turn a blind eye to the harm they’re doing to animals and the planet. So by taking a stand for sustainability and ethical sourcing, Chipotle not only differentiated itself from competitors, it also created a more honest and meaningful connection with its audience. Powerful stuff.
10. Chick-Fil-A – Eat Mor Chikin (1995 –)
Image source: Billboard Insider
When researching the biggest players in the restaurant industry, Chick-Fil-A is up at the top of the list. And this is largely thanks to the brand’s cow mascots, which made their first appearance on a billboard in Atlanta, Georgia back in 1995.
At the time, Chick-Fil-A was working with a minimal marketing budget which meant it couldn’t afford traditional TV advertising like most of its competitors. So instead, it went all in on 3D billboards, a media that was largely unheard of in the ‘90s.
After a couple of less-successful billboard concepts, the brand eventually came up with the idea to use a herd of mischievous cows to encourage burger-lovers to “Eat Mor Chikin”. And since that day, the cows have achieved icon status as one of the most recognisable brand mascots of all time.
Over the decades, we’ve seen these adventurous cows launch into space, parachute onto football fields, and build a loyal, loving fan base for Chick-Fil-A. One of the most iconic offline marketing strategies ever!
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11. Starbucks – What’s Your Name (2019)
Starbucks has created lots of great restaurant marketing campaigns over the years. But this integrated campaign stands out for a few reasons.
Taking a customer’s name, writing it on a cup, and calling it out when their drink is at the heart of the Starbucks experience. And the brand used this sequence of acts to showcase its commitment to creating a safe and inclusive space for all.
The video ad follows the experiences of a transgender man called James. We follow him through life as time and time again, he’s addressed by his birth name. Finally, we see him walking into Starbucks and order a drink and say “it’s James”.
The brand then used social media marketing and hashtag #whatsyourname to give its audience a platform where they could share their own stories and experiences. All in all, this restaurant marketing campaign feels authentic in its messaging and powerful in its execution. No surprise then, that it went on to win multiple awards for its positive social impact.
Get faster approval on your restaurant marketing campaigns
Creating a food restaurant campaign takes a whole lot of collaboration between teams and stakeholders – which can become pretty time-consuming when it comes to getting everything approved. But with the right marketing approval tool as part of your restaurant marketing plan, you’ll be able to get your campaigns in front of potential customers a lot faster.
Filestage is a marketing tool that streamlines the way you share files, gather feedback, and get final approval. So rather than getting stuck in endless email chains and chasing review decisions, your team can focus on creating top-quality restaurant marketing ideas.
With this slick tool, you can collaboratively review all your files (including documents, designs, photos, videos, and audio files) using one straightforward platform.
To wrap up
While word of mouth and online reviews from food bloggers are definitely good for business, social media platforms and other marketing channels are key ingredients for long term success.
I hope this article empowers you to create some brave, bold restaurant promotion ideas of your own! And if you’d like to see how Filestage can speed up the way you share and approve all your campaign files and more, go ahead and start your free trial today.
