The year of 'woke-washing': How tone-deaf activism risks eroding brands

Experts warn an uptick in socially and politically aware advertising can read more as chasing headlines than meeting real consumer demands, and it could degrade trust in the industry.

By Peter Adams • July 8, 2019

Starbucks and Amazon partner on soccer documentary

The deal further cements the coffee chain's storytelling ambitions, which has included other productions like "Hingakawa" and "To Be Human."

By Dianna Christe • July 3, 2019

McDonald's dishes out QR-enabled picnic blankets for hot spot delivery

By scanning a code on the blanket, smartphone users in Sweden send their location to their food-delivery service of choice.

By Robert Williams • July 2, 2019

KFC suits up Cheetos mascot as new Colonel Sanders

Chester Cheetah is hawking sandwiches as the QSR taps a different brand icon for the first time.

By Dianna Christe • July 1, 2019

Long John Silver's 'Fishmas in July' makes splash with GIF coupons

A Spotify collection of songs about seafood and swag giveaways to fans on social media​ round out the chain's effort.

By Robert Williams • June 26, 2019

Dunkin' debuts 'human charger' pop-up for summer solstice

On the longest day of the year, coffee drinkers can visit the activation to snag a free drink, a reusable straw and a tongue-in-cheek user guide.

By Natalie Black (Koltun) , Barry Levine • June 21, 2019

Papa John's invests $80M in marketing, franchisee relief

In addition to marketing and brand initiatives, the funding will go toward royalty relief for operators, many of whom have struggled since founder John Schnatter's downfall. 

By Julie Littman • Updated June 21, 2019

Pizza Hut brings back iconic red roof logo

The logo, which was used between 1967 and 1999, is part of the company's marketing strategy to get back to its roots. 

By Alicia Kelso • June 19, 2019

Chick-fil-A opens Des Moines kiosk

The move comes as Dunkin' and Nathan's Famous experiment with mobile restaurant concepts in New York, and three years after the chain opened a kiosk in the city to gauge local interest.

By Lauren Manning • June 19, 2019

Postmates delivers free lunches inspired by Amazon's 'Marvelous Mrs. Maisel'

The delivery tie-in aims to showcase Postmates' delivery services in a competitive market by highlighting cuisine from the hit show.

By Robert Williams • June 18, 2019

Specificity sells beef

New study shows value of sponsoring detailed keywords in boosting meat purchases

June 18, 2019

TGI Fridays picks up Uber tab for guests in pilot

The deal is part of the chain's partnership with Uber Vouchers, a program launched in April and designed to drive more foot traffic to stores. 

By Alicia Kelso • June 17, 2019

Welcome to Good Burger: Nickelodeon pops up restaurant to promote 'All That' return

To promote the revival of the millennial favorite, the kids network teamed with the makers of the popular "Saved by the Bell" pop-up.

By Chris Kelly , Barry Levine • June 14, 2019

Burger King flips Whoppers 'upside down' for 'Stranger Things' tie-in

In advance of the third season of the hit Netflix series, Burger King is partnering with Coca-Cola and DoorDash for giveaways and exclusive content.

By Barry Levine • June 13, 2019

KFC's exclusive Mtn Dew flavor aspires to cult success of Baja Blast

The fried chicken purveyor takes a page from Taco Bell's playbook with the debut of the peach and honey-tinged Sweet Lightning.

By Peter Adams • June 11, 2019

Valuing a restaurant's 'vibe' protects its IP for sale or franchise

It's critical for eateries to not only maximize proceeds in a transaction, but also to protect its brand uniqueness and potentially even monetize it.

By Brian Buss and Doug Bania • June 10, 2019

Chipotle celebrates Pride with donations from shoppable Instagram post

The burrito chain will give proceeds from online sales of themed gear to The Trevor Project.

By Robert Williams • June 7, 2019

Taco Bell unwraps fresh song, fake movie trailer for Nacho Fries' return

The chain's original songs and sheet music follow a flurry of recent campaigns around musical branding.

By Barry Levine • June 6, 2019

IHOP resurrects controversial 'IHOb' name change, targets burger promo's haters

The chain becomes the latest marketer to incorporate online negativity into its marketing as opposed to letting customer service handle it. 

By Barry Levine • June 4, 2019

OpenTable showcases LGBTQ+ restaurants for Pride Month

The reservation platform joins a growing mix of restaurant brands including Starbucks, sweetgreen and fresh&co that are showing support for the LGBTQ+ community.

By Alicia Kelso • June 4, 2019

Chipotle joins spelling bee to pit its ingredients against competitors'

At this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee, some contestants participated in word challenges involving ingredients like "avocado" and "carrageenan."

By Barry Levine • May 31, 2019

Baskin-Robbins teams with Netflix for 'Stranger Things'-inspired ice cream truck

Inspired by the show's Scoops Ahoy Ice Cream parlor, the activation is the latest brand partnership to bring the hit show to life.

By Dianna Christe • May 30, 2019

Sweetgreen unveils Pride-focused marketing campaign

The chain is also rolling out its first national print and marketing campaign this summer, and plans to donate $1 from every bowl sold on June 2 to a homeless assistance program targeting LGBTQ+ youth.

By Lauren Manning • May 29, 2019

Chipotle integrates Twitter with SMS to dole out free burritos to basketball fans

Every time announcers say the word "free" on-air during official NBA game coverage, attentive followers have a chance to score a meal.

By Peter Adams • May 29, 2019

Stop & Shop kicks off a food truck tour

The grocer joins a handful of restaurants, such as Red Robin and Auntie Anne's, using food trucks to market products to customers.

By Jennifer Sweeney • May 28, 2019