The NFL is back, and so are its many, many sponsors.
Applebee’s, which became the official bar and grill of the league ahead of the 2024 season, is looking to start football season strong. To do it, the restaurant chain is relying on key lessons—and coaches—from its rookie year and aiming to use the power of NFL fandom to drive restaurant traffic, according to John Peyton, Applebee’s president and CEO of its parent company, Dine Brands.
“Everyone loves the NFL,” Peyton told Marketing Brew. “At least in this country, it’s almost universally known and followed, so it’s a common language and a common bond. Despite where you live or how you live, everyone talks about the NFL. That’s been a great community-builder for us, both with our guests and our team members.”
We spoke with Peyton about what’s in store for the brand’s latest football campaign and how he and his marketing team plan to advance the work they did last season.
Put me in, coach
For its first campaign as an official NFL sponsor last year, Applebee’s ran a series of spots starring San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, and Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell.
This year, the player roster looks a little different. In an effort to appeal to an even wider range of NFL fans, Peyton’s team picked a rookie, Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty, as well as a veteran, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. The hope, Peyton said, is that Stroud is familiar even to casual fans, while Jeanty is well-known for a rookie among more serious fans who might also follow college football and the NFL draft.
While the players in this year’s campaign changed, the coach is staying the same. Campbell is back after starring in last year’s campaign, which was “really well received,” partially thanks to Campbell’s humor, Peyton said.
“We just love the way he leans into it, how much he truly enjoys himself, and that it just comes across in the spot,” Peyton said. “That energy, and that creativity, and his enthusiasm is what [made it] a no-brainer to roll him into Year 2.”
Triple threat
This fall, Applebee’s Ultimate Trio appetizer deal and 2 for $25 menu are front and center in the creative, which marks a bit of a shift from last season, when the campaign was more focused on conveying the “fun vibe at Applebee’s” restaurants, Peyton said. Applebee’s branding and logo will also be more clear in this season’s campaign, he said, a learning from last year that’s meant to help the brand stand out among other restaurant ads.
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In another departure from last year’s approach, the campaign will leave behind the brand’s Pre-Seasoning content series, according to Peyton. The ads will also run for longer than they did last season, he added, evolving creatively over time but staying focused on humor and promoting the same offerings.
“Last year, we laid the groundwork for our association with the NFL,” Peyton said. “We introduced the story of a coach training up his team members to serve our guests. This year, with that well established, we’re getting really specific.”
New routes
While the campaign will continue to run on TV like it did last season, the platform focus will be “much more 360 than last year,” with more content like behind-the-scenes footage captured during the filming of the ad spots set to run on social and digital channels, Peyton said. There are plans to activate more at Applebee’s locations as well, including with NFL displays and decor, and by encouraging employees to rep their favorite teams.
By broadening the ways in which the brand activates its sponsorship, Peyton said he hopes the promotional effort will catch the eyes—and the stomachs—of as many NFL fans as possible.
“My 84-year-old mother never misses an Eagles game,” he said. “She’s going to experience the Eagles on television, and that’s why we’re there. My 24-year-old son watches the NFL on four different screens…and so we need to be on the apps. We need to be on the dot coms as well. The message is the same, but we’ve got to find our guests where they are because the NFL is consumed through so many different channels in so many different ways.”