Dive Brief:
- Chick-fil-A is deploying its cow mascots to boost its rewards program with the launch of “Code Moo,” a digital game that challenges players to help take down the brand’s “burger-slinging nemesis,” according to a press release.
- The game, available online now through Aug. 1, will dish out 2.5 million food rewards each week, while supplies last, to Chick-fil-A One loyalty members who complete weekly challenges. Participation is also tied to a sweepstakes awarding prizes like free Chick-fil-A for a year.
- The brand also crafted several promotional videos and a cow-themed merchandise line, along with an animated short film set to debut in mid-July. The effort follows other recent moves by the chain focused around boosting its loyalty program.
Dive Insight:
Chick-fil-A is looking once again to bovines to support its marketing goals, in this case to introduce its new digital game and grow its loyalty program, which was launched in 2016 and has since grown to include over 50 million members. The chain’s cow mascots have routinely been a focal point within creative efforts, starting first in 1995 when they rebelliously appeared alongside the brand’s now-popular “Eat Mor Chikin” tagline.
The web-based Code Moo game playfully calls on Chick-fil-A One rewards members to take down the fictitious restaurant Circus Burger through a series of weekly challenges. If the challenges are successfully completed, participants can win free food items, an incentive that could help the chain boost its loyalty membership. Participants will additionally be entered into the Code Moo Sweepstakes for the chance to win prizes like free food for a year or a trip for two to the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship.
To market the game, the chain released a handful of comedic video ads. The first, a “Breaking Moos Alert,” features a cow promoting the game and its potential “free chikin” rewards while standing behind a hay bale podium. The second, a 30-second spot, shows the outcome of the Chick-fil-A cows’ takeover of Circus Burger’s social media channels. A third video serves as a teaser for the forthcoming release of the brand’s animated short film.
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Chick-fil-A also released a slew of on-theme retail items as part of its new Chick-fil-A Cow Collection, its third merchandise line to date. Included are items like a beach towel, paddle ball game, belt bag and visor with prices ranging from $12 to $55, an affordable price point for the novelty items that could help drive purchases.
The latest effort by the chain joins other moves meant to boost its rewards program, a focus many brands have doubled down on in effort to gain valuable consumer data as the end of third-party cookies looms. The company in April also boosted its point values for some rewards, along with adding new items for redemption. In May, it added two mobile app features designed around improving speed of service.
