New Ad Campaign by J. Walter Thompson Atlanta Brings Church’s Chicken Back to its Roots

Over the next few weeks, fried chicken fans across the country will get their first look at a new approach at Church’s Chicken – people coming together to simply enjoy good food prepared by people who care.

It’s all part of a new integrated marketing and branding campaign developed by Church’s and its lead agency and strategic partner, J. Walter Thompson (JWT) Atlanta.

Church’s unveiled its new tagline – Bringin’ That Down Home Flavour – to highlight its southern hospitality and bold Texas-inspired flavours. The new brand look, tagline, and approach will begin appearing across consumer channels in end February.

“We’re serious about making 2019 Church’s biggest year ever,” says Jennifer Chasteen, Vice President of Brand Strategy and Activation for Church’s. “The new brand positioning is the cornerstone of a much larger multi-year plan to elevate the brand across the entire quick-service industry. A tremendous amount of smart and strategic work, led by JWT Atlanta, as well as internally within our own restaurants and in partnership with our franchisees, has gone into shaping and activating a powerful domestic position that truly reflects our strengths as a brand.”

Building upon key consumer insights gleaned from a wide-ranging global market research plan to develop the strategy behind the campaign, Church’s leveraged one of its biggest strengths – its food. The key motivator for both long-time loyalists and new guests is the brand’s many crave-worthy offerings.

A mix of bold Texas taste and Southern heritage, menu items like Church’s original hand-battered fried chicken, with its traditional jalapeño pepper that guests can squeeze to add their own level of spice, as well as Southern classics like baked macaroni and cheese and scratch-made Honey Butter Biscuits, set the tone for the new positioning and advertising materials.

“The campaign is founded upon taking that never settle Texas spirit to tell our story of taking ordinary meals and elevating them to another layer of flavour,” says Georgia Margeson, Senior Director of Advertising for Church’s Chicken. “Down Home serves as a rallying cry for something that goes above and beyond customers’ expectations in flavour, abundance, variety, and value and Church’s Chicken being the only restaurant that brings it all to the table.”

The new campaign, one of the most robust in the brand’s history, will be fully integrated across traditional and digital media platforms. The launch plan was created by the brand’s new media planning and buying partner, Mindshare Atlanta.

The Bringin’ That Down Home Flavour campaign introduces a fresh, contemporary look and feel for Church’s that dials up the brand’s culinary skill and personal authenticity. TV spots are shot in a sophisticated test kitchen with close-up camera work highlighting fresh ingredients and careful preparation – exactly the same way meals come together in Church’s restaurant kitchens. Messaging across radio and social outlets takes on a confident, straightforward tone and lets guests know that Church’s is all about scratch-made, hand-battered, fresh-baked, no-excuses, big bold tastes.

“It’s a position that only Church’s can own,” explains Lucas Heck, Creative Director with J. Walter Thompson Atlanta. “This is a brand with a rich heritage that has been around for more than six decades. There’s a reason why Church’s has stood the test of time – it’s the kind of food and the kind of atmosphere that people keep coming back to. The idea is that ‘Here at Church’s, everyone’s welcome at the table’ and that spirit is what the campaign is designed to communicate.”

Source: J. Walter Thompson Atlanta

  Advertising, Campaign, Church’s Chicken, Food, J. Walter Thompson, JWT Atlanta, Marketing, Mindshare, USA