Last week it was announced that Darden, the operator of many family restaurant chains like Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse, was putting the Red Lobster account up for review. Sales had been falling, franchisee's were getting unhappy and the advertising had gotten stale.Cue the eager agency contenders.
I know from experience, weekends will be sacrificed in the pursuit of this crown jewel of advertising. People will work long hours. Couches will get slept on. Cold coffee will get nuked. And strategies will be constructed, deconstructed and put before the knowing eye of focus groups.
Backs will get stabbed. Inter-office jockeying will occur. And new office romances will bloom, fed by the aphrodisiac aromas of stale pizza and 11 PM body odor.
At the end of the review process, an agency will be selected, champagne will be uncorked and a brand-spanking new Red Lobster campaign will be foisted on the crustacean-hungry masses...
Open on hot melted butter drizzled over freshly steamed lobster tail.
Cut to tight shot of tongs placing lobster tail on a beautifully-dressed dinner plate.
Cut to steam rising off the fluffy mashed potatoes.
Cut to dinner roll being cracked in half.
Cut to extreme slow motion shot of flakes flying off the dinner roll.
Cut to beet red lobster tail shell being cracked open.
Cut to man wearing khaki pants, with extremely white teeth, biting into said lobster and smiling.
Cut to khaki pants man's wife, she is smiling too.
ANNCR: Right now during Red Lobster Red Tag Dining Days, you can get our signature lobster tail, mashed potatoes and your choice of farm fresh vegetable for only $9.99. Come on in now, we'll start melting the butter just for you.
End on beauty shot of dinner plate.
Starburst: Red Tag Dining Days. Just $9.99
Art Card: Red Lobster. Who's in the mood for Tail?
2 comments:
And to think when I was at The Richards Group I never saw this idea presented.
very funny. very true. they should just take it in-house and be done with it.
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