Feeding Time
Jack in the Box
Overview
To celebrate Halloween, the return of Jack’s infamous Monster Tacos, and the introduction of Jack’s Angry Monster Tacos, TBWA\Chiat\Day LA showed up in a big way. They brought in seasoned Hollywood writers who were currently on strike – and therefore unable to earn a paycheck in their own industry – to help craft a truly scary tale with Jack at the center. It was a win-win. The writers got paid and Jack in the Box got breakthrough content.
The Challenge
Halloween is a busy time in QSR (Quick Service Restaurants). The biggest brands in the category are all competing to dominate share of voice in the conversation and make Halloween theirs.
To succeed, Jack in the Box needed content that would rise above the standard seasonal noise.
The Solution
To cement Jack in the Box’s ownership of Halloween, TBWA\Chiat\Day LA leaned into what people love about Halloween – the thrill of being truly scared.
Rather than create an ad, they created something people would actually want to watch and experience: a horror short film. They even tapped help from top-tier talent outside of the ad industry, from the writers to the majority of the production crew – for example, the production designer, stunt coordinator, editor and composer.
The Results
Extensive industry and consumer press coverage, from USA Today to Ad Age, including Ad of the Day, Week or Month designation in The Drum, Muse By Clio, Shoot, LBB, Reel 360 and AdForum.
Dominated share of conversation amongst our QSR competitive set for halloween.
Consumers wanted more. There was overwhelmingly positive sentiment in the comments sections of YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, with people consistently saying they had forgotten they were watching an ad and that the horror short was better than most modern horror movies.
