IHOP
"Eat Up Every Moment" Contest Campaign & Digital Ecosystem
Role: Creative Lead
Core Domain: Consumer Brand Campaign, Instagram Contest Integration, Interactive Web & Social Ecosystem, 360° Video Production
User Journey Scope: Full Funnel (Social Media Interception → Interactive Contest Engagement & Daily Voting → Menu Exploration & Moment Pairing)
Executive Summary
To launch IHOP’s major brand platform transition from “Come together over breakfast at IHOP” to “Eat up every moment,” IHOP required a multi-channel campaign celebrating the meaningful everyday moments—both big and small—that happen inside their restaurants.
As Creative Lead, I directed the creative execution and lead-designed the primary campaign tactics while guiding a team of designers to build the supporting digital ecosystem. I concepted, storyboarded, designed, and presented the campaign to client leadership, while also helping direct the on-set 360° video shoot featuring commercial talent. The integrated campaign encompassed an Instagram contest (#IHOPmoment), a supporting web voting hub and email nurture sequence, interactive 360° video experiences, and a menu “Moments Generator” that paired IHOP menu items with relatable daily moments across IHOP.com.
Technical & Professional Scope
| Categorization | Details & Competencies |
|---|---|
| Role & Focus | Creative Lead (Hands-On Key Asset Design, Team Direction, Storyboarding, Client Pitching, Video Shoot Direction) |
| Domain Scope | Integrated Multi-Channel Campaign, Social Contest Architecture, Interactive Video UX, E-Commerce Menu Enhancements |
| Cross-Functional Stakeholders | Executive Client Leadership, Agency Strategists, Film Production Crew, Commercial Talent, Design Team, Developers |
| UX/UI & Production Workflow | Adobe Photoshop (Web Layouts & Social Design), Adobe InDesign (Storyboards, Redlines & Spec Decks), Video Storyboarding |
| Target Audience | Everyday Families, Millennial Diners, Active Social Media Users & IHOP Brand Loyalists |
| Lifecycle Stages | Awareness (#IHOPmoment Social Ads & 360° Video) → Participation (Photo Submission & Daily Voting Microsite) → Retention & Conversion (Email Nurture & Menu Moment Pairing) |
Key Initiatives & Strategic Impact
A. #IHOPmoment Instagram Contest & Digital Voting Hub
- Social Contest Architecture: Concepted and executed the Instagram-first contest framework where guests shared photos and stories capturing in-restaurant moments using
#IHOPmoment. - Contest Microsite & Daily Voting UX: Designed user flows and UI layouts in Photoshop for a dedicated campaign web portal where community members submitted entries and returned daily to vote for their favorite contestants.
- Email Campaign Ecosystem: Created targeted email blast templates and redline specs in InDesign to drive registered users back to the platform for daily engagement.
B. Immersive 360° Video Experience
- Concepting & Storyboarding: Authored detailed visual storyboards and interactive concepts framing the 360° video narrative featuring talent from national TV commercials.
- On-Set Production & Client Pitch: Presented creative direction directly to IHOP leadership and assisted on-set during filming to ensure visual and narrative alignment across Facebook, YouTube, and digital site players.
C. Menu “Moments Generator” & IHOP.com Integration
- Dynamic Pairing Engine: Designed an interactive “Moments Generator” matching everyday life moments with specific IHOP menu items.
- Core Site Menu Redesign: Updated IHOP.com menu pages to contextualize food offerings with curated moment pairings, driving emotional connection directly at the point of order consideration.
Workflows & Governance
- Hybrid Hands-On & Leadership Model: Executed core creative concepts, storyboards, and primary layout comps hands-on while providing daily design direction to a team of designers.
- Production Spec Hand-off: Built structured layout redlines, visual asset libraries, and UI component decks using Photoshop and InDesign to guide engineering hand-off.
- Brand Platform Alignment: Successfully translated a high-level tagline repositioning into an interactive, multi-touchpoint digital experience that drove sustained social user participation.
