There was a time not long ago that many consumers wouldn’t have associated Popeyes with Louisiana.
“We were missing the opportunity the brand had, which is Louisiana,” said Popeyes Chief Brand Experience Officer Dick Lynch, noting there was “spotty awareness” for the chain throughout the U.S. just five years ago.
As it turned out, that heritage was the point of differentiation the chain needed to help fight stagnating sales and declining traffic. To communicate those roots, Omnicom’s GSD&M created the chain’s spokeswoman, Annie, played by actress Deidrie Henry. She allowed Popeyes to simultaneously advertise new products and highlight the brand’s heritage, Mr. Lynch said. “When Annie is talking, she is characterizing [Popeyes] as being from Louisiana, so we don’t have to spend time convincing people we’re different, because Louisiana is differentiation enough [in the chicken category].”
Read more about Popeyes and their new brand identity here.
