Top 5 Ways Applebee's Scored Big with its NFL Kick-Off Campaign

Applebee's successfully kicked off its second NFL season as the league's official Grill + Bar sponsor with a star-driven campaign that resonated with fans and drove strong intent. Here are five key strategies that contributed to their success:

1. Leveraging Star Power for Persuasion: The campaign featured fan-favorite head coach Dan Campbell, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, and Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty. The :15 "Fans" creative, featuring C.J. Stroud and a Dan Campbell cameo, was particularly persuasive, driving an above-norm Top 2 Box intent of 69% (+6 pts vs. one-year restaurant norms).
2. Highlighting Value-Driven Deals: The campaign effectively promoted a $14.99 "Ultimate Trio" appetizer deal. Across the full general population audience, the newest Applebee's spots conveyed value and whetted appetites with "Yummy" and "Authentic" visuals. Viewer verbatims confirmed that the audience saw value in the "Two for $25" promotion.
3. Capitalizing on Comedic Talent: Coach Campbell's natural comedic talent helped the spots trend across social media, making it easy to run them with him back in the role. This engaging element contributed to the campaign's overall appeal and memorability.
4. Connecting with the Game Day Experience: The campaign was designed to connect with fans and make Applebee's part of the game day experience. Comments from NFL fans confirmed that the creative successfully captured the fun side of eating out and the excitement of football season and gathering around an event.
5. Strategic Media Planning for Optimized Outcomes: Given the stronger purchase intent sparked by the "Fans" creative, even within the broad audience, shifting forward spend to this spot over other ads was suggested to optimize outcomes. This highlights the importance of aligning media spend with the highest potential ads.

Applebee's NFL kick-off campaign demonstrates the power of combining celebrity endorsements, value-driven promotions, and engaging creative to drive significant consumer intent. By understanding how different ad creatives perform and strategically allocating media spend, brands can effectively connect with their target audiences and achieve measurable business outcomes. This approach allows brands to master fragmentation and ensure accountability for every advertising dollar.