The fresh chicken challenge

Popeyes addressed the challenge of celebrating a significant milestone for its brand in Spain: the opening of over 100 restaurants in under four years. To mark this occasion, we devised a strategy that mirrored the brand’s values and philosophy, increasing its presence across the national landscape. Our mission was to create a campaign that encapsulated the core values of Popeyes cuisine with the greatest impact: local ingredients of the highest quality, a meticulous cooking process and a joyful spirit.

Fresh food, delicious recipes, and fun—what better place to find these ingredients than a cooking show? That’s the idea we proposed for Popeyes’ Spanish anniversary. Inspired by shows like MasterChef, we created a live, immersive event streamed on social media: “The Fresh Chicken Challenge.” This competition between celebrities became a fun and engaging experience for everyone watching online. Of course, fresh chicken, Popeyes’ star ingredient, took centre stage.

The event revolved around three key messages we wanted to convey:

• Top-quality Local Ingredients: We recreated a market space, showcasing the brand’s suppliers to attendees and social media followers. This highlighted Popeyes’ commitment to using local ingredients in its recipes.
• Meticulous Cooking: The “Fresh Chicken Challenge” was an exciting culinary competition. It celebrated the restaurant milestone and emphasised Popeyes’ product quality and dedication to exceptional cuisine.
• Fun Factor: We tapped into social media stars who resonate with young audiences: Josie, Belén Esteban, Ana Brito, and Ceciarmy. These “meme kings” (or queens) are known for creating iconic online moments. After the competition, we threw a party to celebrate the 100th restaurant, inviting content creators and journalists who organically amplified the event’s reach.

This strategy successfully boosted Popeyes’ visibility and brand awareness in Spain. The campaign generated 100 media placements across general news, business, trade, and marketing publications, 64% of which were tier-one outlets. Additionally, the brand spokesperson secured five interviews, and the celebrity participants secured another five.

Popeyes’ image as a brand committed to high-quality, locally sourced ingredients was further strengthened. The event itself, along with Josie’s Instagram contest offering a year’s worth of free Popeyes chicken (reaching over 276,000 people!), significantly increased the brand’s presence on social media.