Diving overview:
- Applebee's has partnered with Team Whistle on an episode of the sports media and entertainment company's YouTube series “Undercover Athlete,” Marketing Dive can exclusively share. The initiative promotes the restaurant chain's new Whole Lotta Bacon Burger.
- The episode, which premiered Thursday on Team Whistle's YouTube and social channels, features San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk as he takes on his role as a new team member at Applebee's while doing nothing. Interact with guests you don't know.
- Simple social segments run on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook Reels, Snapchat, and YouTube Shorts can help promote your content. The initiative could help Applebee's build loyalty with sports fans.
Dive Insight:
Applebee's is leveraging sports marketing through a partnership with Team Whistle to promote its new limited-time product, the Whole Lotta Bacon Burger. The move could help boost engagement, especially among sports viewers, as the Dine Brands-owned chain grapples with weak domestic same-store sales and shrinking store footprint.
Team Whistle's “Undercover Athletes” series features sports stars. Previous guests include New York Jets linebacker CJ Mosley. Take on different tasks and specific challenges in disguise to see if fans take notice. The Applebee's episode depicts Aiyuk assuming the role of a staff member for his chain of restaurants and interacting with customers by taking orders and promoting the chain's new burgers.
“Undercover Athlete was a super fun way for us to not only engage with our loyal guests and restaurant team members, but also authentically engage with sports fans with fun and engaging content.” Joel Jasinski, Applebee's chief marketing officer, said in a statement.
A short social video running across multiple platforms completes the collaboration. One corner, “Whole Lotta Bacon Burger Trivia,” puts a twist on trivia as Applebee's new burgers answer various questions in front of Aiyuk. In the “Behind the Scenes” segment, consumers can watch outtakes from undercover episodes and see candid clips of Aiyuk practicing the Applebee's menu, perfecting a new burger proposal, and participating in off-the-cuff moments. can.
“Undercover Athlete” is based on Applebee’s creative swing to surprise and entertain consumers. In 2022, the brand will partner with makeup and skin care brand Winky Lux to launch a collection of wing sauce-inspired lip glosses, “Saucy Gloss'', around National Wing Day and National Lipstick Day. ” was released. Previously, the company announced its “Here's to The Regulars” campaign, which spotlighted actual regular customers for the first time.
Team Whistle, a DAZN Group company, frequently partners with brands to support content. In March, the company collaborated with health and wellness brand GNC to produce an episode of his YouTube series “No Days Off” about March Madness. In January, the company partnered with dishwasher detergent brand Finish to air two cooking showdown episodes of the show called “Home Team” ahead of Super Bowl IV. It also collaborated with DirecTV Stream and State Farm, with the latter using the opportunity to promote its individual pricing plans.
