Chili’s rides with NASCAR, Lifetime to push margaritas with music, TV

Dive Temporary:

• Brinker Worldwide chain Chili’s Grill & Bar launched a collection of activations targeted round its margaritas in an effort to proceed its wave of success, in line with two press releases.
• The 2 margarita-centric campaigns goal totally different demographic teams. The primary, “Journey the ‘Dente,’” was launched Feb. 11 and is targeted on the NASCAR season. The second, “I’ll be Residence for Nationwide Margarita Day,” was finished in partnership with Lifetime and is seeking to entice rom-com followers.
• Chili’s has seen vital progress in current months, with income rising 26.45% year-over-year throughout its fiscal yr 2025 second quarter, reaching $1.36 billion, in line with a current earnings name. It has invested closely in advertising and marketing, largely selecting to concentrate on menu objects, in line with firm executives.

Dive Perception:

Amid financial uncertainty and mounting inflation, Chili’s has been in a position to carve out a spot for itself amongst budget-conscious customers nonetheless considering consuming out. The model’s advertising and marketing has largely targeted on worth, most notably by way of its Triple Dipper menu. The collaborations with NASCAR and Lifetime look to broaden the attraction of the model whereas additionally sustaining its value-oriented picture. 

The chain will promote on Fox through the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 16. The marketing campaign focusing on racing followers is targeted on Chili’s Presidente Margarita and contains an unique nation music and music video that CMO George Felix hopes might be the latest “earworm” for a sequence finest recognized for its iconic child again ribs jingle.

The 15-minute Lifetime particular focuses on Chili’s margaritas choices extra broadly. The quick, which is able to air on Feb. 19 on Lifetime, facilities across the Nationwide Margarita Day celebrations of a small city, with Chili’s taking part in a central function. The trouble, which stars Maria Menounos and Taye Diggs, shall be obtainable on a number of streaming platforms, such because the Lifetime App and YouTube the following day.

The present promoting blitz seems to be to make the restaurant attraction to as many customers as doable. Whereas the model continues to lean into its identification as a sports activities bar by way of the NASCAR activation, it primarily desires to be seen as a spot of each togetherness and worth. The restaurant chain additionally plans on redesigning 200 shops in an effort to remain present.

Activating round key days and occasions additional helps to maintain the chain related, particularly because it continues to faucet into cultural moments. The model is specializing in a couple of key areas of relevance, such because the Triple Dippers and the margaritas, with a purpose to drive sustained progress.

“Chili’s gross sales are a direct results of the investments we have made into advertising and marketing to drive the visitor in and operations to carry friends again,” stated Mika Ware, govt vp and chief monetary officer of Brinker Worldwide through the firm’s Jan. 29 earnings name.