HI GEN Z
MEET HOOTERS
The Challenge
This classic American brand needed to go beyond traditional perceptions to build connections with modern audiences. And they had to do it without alienating a loyal fanbase. To revitalize the brand, we focused on three things: cultural relevance, food quality, and NASCAR.
2021 Brand Refresh
Inspired by millennial & gen Z insights, we leaned on a retro aesthetic to refresh the brand feel and voice. We created a social-oriented vibe and established an ownable look for the menu. A comprehensive brand book was developed to guide internal teams, franchisees, and partner agencies.
"Fix our social media!" – Hooters CMO
We relaunched the brand on Twitter arming ourselves with a character idea, a clearly defined brand voice, and a massive tweet bank. After going completely dark for a few days, Hacker Hootie took over.
New Product Launch Smoked wings have since become a pillar of the menu.
The NASCAR spot that broke the internet. When it first ran, it drove so much traffic, the web host thought the site was under attack and shut it down (former web host).
NASCAR 2020 Chase Elliott proved the critics wrong and won a championship, living up to the legacy of his legendary father–Bill Elliott. Hooters knows what it's like to face the naysayers and remain true to yourself. This spot celebrates Chase's legacy and ours.
Hooters Video Reel Highlights from the last four years.
Fans know you don't schedule a wedding during football season. This insight led to an epic 360 idea. You might enjoy hearing more about it.
Results
The internet loved our rebrand and social refresh. Engagement has sprouted wings. And the most significant business stakeholders, Hooters franchisees, are huge fans.
The introduction of Smoked Wings required substantial capital investment in kitchen equipment. Supported by our marketing campaign, test markets in Atlanta and Texas demonstrated significant ROI. This justified a national rolled out and Smoked Wings have since become a signature menu item.
Hooters had not been a NASCAR sponsor for over 25 years. Our goal was to make an authentic connection with fans in ways other brands simply could not. NASCAR executives labeled our campaign the gold standard for authentically connecting to the NASCAR audience.
Things we did:
Brand Positioning | Brand Guides | Tradition & Digital Campaigns | Websites | Campaign Landers | Online & Broadcast Video & Radio | Food, Beverage & Brand Photography | Display Ads | Paid & Organic Social | LTO Promos | Experiential Marketing | OOH | POS | Menu Design