The Challenge
Chili’s Grill & Bar (Chili’s) is a US casual dining restaurant chain that serves American cuisine amid their signature come-as-you-are atmosphere. Chili’s sought to elevate awareness of their "3 For Me" $10.99 value meal - a Big Smasher burger, fries, chips and salsa and bottomless soft drink – among audiences facing rising fast-food prices. This would require a comprehensive strategy for cutting through the crowded digital space to reach audiences where they were naturally spending their time.
The Aim
Our goal was to promote Chili’s "3 For Me" $10.99 value meal to our key audiences, including GenZ and Millennials. We set out to reach these audiences at scale through creator partnerships that would make promotional messages impossible to miss.
The Strategy
The campaign strategy combined creator-generated content with Meta partnership ads sent to select audiences via multiple channels.
Audience Strategy:
The campaign targeted US adults aged 18 and over, especially those with an interest in casual dining experiences.
Creator Partnership Strategy:
- Chili’s partner with well-known food influencers.
- Those influencers/creators shoot videos of themselves enjoying the "3 for Me" value meal at Chili's locations.
- Use their creator-generated content in Meta partnership ads.
- To expand reach, place partnership ads via both advertiser's and creators' Facebook and Instagram handles.
- Reach entirely new audiences by posting new creator content through their networks.
Meta Moment Maker Implementation:
For the three-day campaign, Chili's ads took over Facebook and Instagram Feed, Stories, Reels and in-stream video, with the "3 For Me" deal always front and center.
The Execution
The campaign used Meta Moment Maker, a high-impact audience saturation strategy, to leverage all of Meta's mobile-first video ad products in its three-day burst across all the Facebook and Instagramchannels. Chili's partnered with well-known food influencers who shot video of themselves enjoying the "3 for Me" value meal at Chili's locations. This creator-generated content was used in Meta partnership ads, expanding reach through both the brand's and creators’ handles.
The Impact
Client Testimonial: "We've found that the impact and efficiency of the Meta Moment Maker package, combined with Meta partnership ads, to be a great way to launch our campaigns. The ability to scale reach quickly and extend it in a cost-effective way helps ensure that our guests can't miss Chili's."
Tim Forman Media Director, Chili’s Grill & Bar
The Results
Campaign Performance: Results were determined using a Meta brand lift study.
Reach & Awareness:
- Reached 46 million consumers with Meta Moment Maker during the three-day flight.
Creator Content Impact:
- Achieved 15.2-point lift in ad recall by using creator-generated content in partnership ads alongside brand creative in the Meta Moment Maker.
- Recorded 9-point lift in intent to visit a restaurant location after audience was exposed to Meta Moment Maker alongside creator-generated content in partnership ads.
