A new TV ad campaign by regional burger chain Pal’s Sudden Service celebrates its focus on consumer satisfaction. The campaign celebrates the chain’s national leadership in both the speed of its drive-thru service and its accuracy in fulfilling every customer’s order.
“According to our research, Pal’s makes one mistake in every 3,000 orders or so, and our drive-thru times are up to 10 times faster than our competitors,” says Pal’s president and CEO, Thom Crosby. “So when you’re not waiting in line, and you’re not having to come back to get an order corrected, that simply gives you more time to enjoy life. And that’s what we wanted to convey with this campaign. It is truly what makes us different and important to our loyal customer base.”
The two ads, set to run in the Tri-Cities Tennessee and Virginia market, show visuals of people of all ages enjoying life in the area. From jumping in the lake, to driving the back roads, smiling faces abound. The custom music track, called “Face to Face,” is a nod to the unique way Pal’s takes customers’ orders: face to face instead of through a speaker.
“Humans are visual creatures,” Crosby says. “We think it’s better when customers can interact with a person instead of a squawky, mechanical speaker at a drive thru. It’s one of the basic principles of our mission to achieve order accuracy. And it’s also nice to see a smiling face.”
The “Face to Face” song was written and performed by up-and-coming musician Erin Elisabeth Aubrey.
“I was really excited to take part in this project, not only because I’ve always been interested in writing jingles, but because I grew up as an enthusiastic Pal’s customer,” Aubrey says. “In college I lived off sweet tea and Pal’s Cheddar Rounds, and even now when I come back from Nashville I always visit a Pal’s.”
Aubrey says the words for the Pal’s jingle came very easily to her after seeing the footage and knowing the restaurant so well.
Pal’s has been recognized at the highest level for its accuracy and performance excellence, being the first restaurant chain to earn the prestigious Baldrige National Quality Award, a U.S. Department of Commerce award for business excellence. It is also a two-time winner of Tennessee’s Quality Excellence Award.