The Problem
Chili’s has always been a “bitchin hangout” known for their delicious shaken margaritas, burgers and fajitas, but as fast as COVID cases were increasing in 2021, sales were declining just as fast. The brand needed a way to drive relevancy and sales during one of their favorite holidays, Cinco de Mayo.
Our Solution
To play it COVID safe, we played a game outside we like to call, “Hide and Cinco,” where we had a social media scavenger hunt in five major markets across the U.S., and guests were encouraged to follow along to find surprises in a secret, yet public, location. On May 5th, we teased clues on social as to where the surprises were and had loyal guests running to the scenes. In Tampa, Nashville, Las Vegas, San Antonio and Nashville, brand ambassadors were at specific locations in parks holding five piñatas filled with exclusive Chili’s merch and $500 gift cards. All the piñatas were found within three hours of the game starting!
Results & Impact
Chili’s Hide and Cinco was a huge success, as it reminded brand fans to celebrate with Chili’s on one of the brand’s favorite holidays. The activation generated 130MM impressions and 31 stellar placements in top-tier outlets like USA Today, Elite Daily, TODAY, Thrillist, MSN, Foodsided and many local outlets in the key markets that the brand was in.
