IHOP
Stuffed French Toast (SFT) Campaign
Role: Creative Direction & Strategy Lead
Core Domain: Campaign Strategy, Digital Ecosystems, Social Innovation, Location-Based Marketing
User Journey Scope: Full Funnel (Awareness → Engagement → Drive-to-Store)
Executive Summary
I directed the digital creative strategy and execution for the holiday product launch of IHOP’s Stuffed French Toast (SFT) Limited Time Offer (LTO). The strategic objective was to drive foot traffic into physical IHOP locations by combining an accessible price point with intense appetite appeal centered on the uniqueness of the offering and its premium ingredients.
The campaign was built around the seasonal theme “Unwrapping the Unexpected.” By pairing a complete web ecosystem overhaul with location-gated social activations, holiday brand extensions, rich media publisher placements, and drive-to-store navigation ads, the campaign successfully connected holiday engagement with measurable store visits.
Technical & Professional Scope
| Categorization | Details & Competencies |
|---|---|
| Role & Focus | Creative Direction & Strategy (Digital & Social Campaigns, Brand Experience) |
| Domain Scope | LTO Product Launches, Web Ecosystems, Location-Based Social & Navigation Ads |
| Cross-Functional Stakeholders | Marketing Strategy, Product Development, Digital/Web Engineering, Paid Media Teams |
| UX/UI & Production Workflow | Discovery, Concept Development, Web Redesign, Social Production, Merchandising |
| Optimization & Mechanics | Value-Driven Price Point Messaging, In-Restaurant Geo-Gating, Seasonal Engagement |
| Lifecycle Stages | Awareness (CBS Sports, Waze, Email) → Engagement (Social, Web) → Conversion (In-Store Foot Traffic) |
Key Initiatives & Strategic Impact
A. Web Ecosystem & Seasonal Experience (“Unwrapping the Unexpected”)
- Homepage & Landing Page Redesign: Redesigned IHOP’s primary digital touchpoints under the theme “Unwrapping the Unexpected,” showcasing mouthwatering visuals of Stuffed French Toast ingredients alongside clear price point messaging.
- Targeted Email Campaign: Designed dedicated promotional emails distributed across IHOP’s subscriber base to build early holiday awareness and communicate value directly to loyal guests.
B. In-Restaurant Geo-Gating & Social Innovation
- In-Restaurant Snapchat Filters: Developed custom Snapchat Filters promoting both the SFT LTO and IHOP’s core equity offerings that could only be unlocked inside an IHOP restaurant, creating a direct digital incentive for in-person visits.
- Multi-Platform Social Creative: Directed native social assets, including Instagram Snap Ads and Twitter GIFs, designed to maximize feed stopping power and appetite appeal.
- Holiday Brand Extension: Produced a custom holiday ugly sweater for the second consecutive year as a social media giveaway, driving brand affinity, organic social reach, and seasonal buzz.
C. Contextual Media & Drive-to-Store Execution
- High-Impact Publisher Placements: Deployed rich media banner campaigns across premium digital properties, including CBS Sports, to capture high-volume audience attention.
- Waze Navigation Advertising: Integrated drive-to-store mobile advertising on Waze to target drivers near IHOP locations, converting mealtime intent into immediate physical foot traffic.
Workflows & Governance
- Strategic Briefing & Campaign Direction: Translated product requirements, price point objectives, and holiday promotional goals into the cohesive “Unwrapping the Unexpected” creative concept.
- Digital Ecosystem Refresh: Led the visual and structural redesign of homepage and landing page touchpoints to balance brand equity with appetite appeal.
- Social & Brand Merchandise Production: Directed creative execution across multi-platform social formats (Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter) and managed custom merchandise development for the holiday ugly sweater giveaway.
- Media & Engineering Handoffs: Partnered with paid media and development teams to deploy rich media banners and execute in-restaurant location-gated digital triggers.
- In-Market Execution & Performance Monitoring: Evaluated performance across digital touchpoints to ensure appetite appeal and drive-to-store mechanics performed effectively.
