Highlighting friends, family, and flavor, Zaxby’s is rolling out a national brand campaign designed to deepen connections with existing fans starting Saturday. From college football tailgates and Food Network to Instagram and ESPN, the chain’s fully integrated brand campaign will leverage major marketing partnerships, channels, and assets at a national level.
“This is an indescribably exciting time for us as a brand,” says Will Riley, vice president of Brand Management and Marketing at Zaxby’s Franchising LLC. “We put a great deal of thought into the core of this campaign and wanted it to represent Zaxby’s and what we stand for. At the heart of our culture is flavor, and we are celebrating all aspects of that flavor in our first national campaign.”
The integrated campaign provides opportunities to connect with consumers through multiple touch points. National media buys will feature a new, brand-focused spot that will air on major networks, including CBS, SEC Network, ESPN, Food Network, TBS, and HGTV. The brand is broadening the campaign reach through digital and social media platforms, including Snapchat, Instagram, and Zaxbys.com. In addition, local store marketing efforts and in-store promotions will create opportunities to drive traffic to specific locations.
A highlight of the campaign will be the interactive college tailgate tour. Through a partnership with IMG, Zaxby’s is taking its flavor on the road this fall to 12 exciting college football matchups across the brand’s footprint. Each tailgate will feature Vive, the new virtual reality system from HTC, and an opportunity to compete for prizes at “Flavorize Your Fandom” stations. Tour stops include:
- September 4—Texas vs. Notre Dame
- September 10—TCU vs. Arkansas
- September 17—Arkansas vs. Texas State
- September 24—Western Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt
- October 1—FSU vs. UNC
- October 8 – Texas vs. Oklahoma
- October 15—Georgia Tech vs. Georgia Southern
- October 29—South Carolina vs. Tennessee
- November 5—Ole Miss vs. Georgia Southern
- November 10—Duke vs. UNC
- November 19—Tennessee vs. Missouri
- November 26—Virginia Tech vs. Virginia
Zaxby’s currently operates in 16 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.
