Fazoli’s, the chain of more than 250 quick-service Italian restaurants, named BOHAN Advertising/Marketing its 2009 Supplier of the Year for Innovation.

BOHAN’s work includes a Web-based campaign called FreeSpaghetti.com and a television campaign that featured a talking stomach and flying french fries.

“BOHAN does more than bring us good ideas. They bring us good ideas that actually get results,” says Carl Howard, Fazoli’s president and CEO.

Howard had special praise for FreeSpaghetti.com, which drove new business to Fazoli’s restaurants in the first six months of 2009 when consumers nationwide were substantially reducing restaurant patronage.

“Part of FreeSpaghetti.com was a giveaway of literally tons of spaghetti, which got us great attention in the marketplace, and another was a multi-week coupon project that kept guests coming back. In the process, we enlarged our consumer e-mail database dramatically,” Howard says.

BOHAN became the agency of record for Fazoli’s in 2007. The chain has restaurants in 27 states.

“We’re very pleased with the award, but we’re even more pleased to work with a client that’s willing to have fun and be bold. Fazoli’s is exactly that,” says Kerry Graham, ency president of BOHAN.

The award was presented in Charleston, South Carolina, at a meeting of Fazoli’s franchise owners and suppliers.