Crews filmed customers, employees and food preparation during the course of a normal day of operations in more than 20 restaurants throughout Texas and Alabama, going behind the scenes to capture the authentic spirit of Whataburger. The new TV ads showcase the ingredients used to create the restaurant's burgers plus give a behind-the-counter look at team members working the grill and slicing vegetables – and a dining-room view of customers reacting as they eat their favorite custom Whataburger menu items.
The new ads also highlight the company’s people. The campaign features personal connections made every day at Whataburger by customers and team members from various backgrounds and cultures. By capturing the engaging personalities and old-fashioned hospitality Whataburger has become known for, the new ads allow customers and team members to give a voice to the qualities that have woven Whataburger into the fabric of the communities it has served for more than 61 years.
"What makes Whataburger different isn't a secret sauce or a recipe locked away in a safe; it's our people, who always serve customers like guests in their own homes," said Rich Scheffler, Whataburger Restaurants LP group director of marketing. "When you walk into a Whataburger restaurant, the pride is evident – you can feel it. This new campaign is our way of bringing that pride to life."
The campaign intends to reach all of Whataburger's customer touchpoints through TV, radio, outdoor and online advertising, in addition to public relations and social media. It expands Whataburger's presence in digital media and mobile marketing with interactive ads on Hulu and Facebook.
"The digital elements of our campaign focus on the quality food and service our customers receive in our restaurants," Scheffler said.
Whataburger will also expand its presence in Spanish-language TV and radio with a new Hispanic-focused campaign. The Spanish-language campaign is not a translation of the English campaign, but a separate, parallel effort that features real Spanish-speaking customers and employees at Whataburger restaurants. "We do business in many Hispanic communities and we wanted our loyal Spanish-speaking customers to share their thoughts and feelings about our restaurants and our food in their own words," Scheffler said.
Whataburger operates more than 700 locations in 10 states with sales of more than $1 billion annually.
