AMERICAN GRILLED CHEESE KITCHEN Creative Brief

Why are they advertising?

Right across the street from our school, the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen is opening in April. Heidi and Nate are first time business owners, and she’s a 6-time Grilled Cheese Invitational Champion who specializes in the most delectable gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches in the nation, and possibly the Universe. They’re bringing the first, of what they hope will become several, grilled-cheese-specialty restaurants to San Francisco, which is creating lots of buzz! They’re expecting tons of traffic in the first couple months because of all the chatter among locals and foodies, but they’re concerned with the following: keeping a high plateau of grilled cheese lovers after the initial business peak that happens after grand openings. They’re asking us to solve – how do we keep locals hungry for melty delight and keep ‘em comin’ thru their doors all year long?

Our people:

Local Lunchers with an agenda. These folks work within 2 to 4 blocks of the SouthPark area. They’re accountants, lawyers, tech workers, writers, medical workers, etc. In other words they’re white collar. They’re both genders. They make decent money and work hard, and their jobs cause them mental stress. They eat their lunch out of the office 2 to 3 times a week – usually ending up in the same places when they’re looking for convenience, good price and decent flavor. (At places like sandwich shops or Lee’s Deli that will give them options and get them back quickly to their eight or so afternoon meetings.) But every so often they seek out a little something special for those more difficult days – like when they lose the case, have weeklong writer’s block, or are sick of looking at numbers and databases. On these days they might try the burger joint, which gives them a great greasy escape that makes them feel like a kid again, or the sushi place which offers them an escape to another culture while they eat in sophistication. They claim to be interested in lunch offerings as nutritional necessities only, but their actual eating habits show they seek more some days. They look for places that will offer them an escape from their day, even if only for a short while. They seek escape subconsciously.

What is important about them?

They will claim to eat healthy most days, and not to be interested in gourmet food during working hours – as though they are able to detach themselves from their pleasures any time they choose. They admittedly LOVE grilled cheese in general (that bears repeating – we know they LOVE grilled cheese), but are utterly confused when explaining their inclination towards actually consuming this food. In the same sentences they use words like: melty, delicious, easy, and unpretentious, with words such as: greasy, unhealthy, and guilty. They admit that first thoughts are about grilled cheese as predictably good and satisfying food that is remarkably comforting, but then they go into auto-mode and assert they aren’t that interested in eating it regularly. Living in a society that discourages us from seeking those things that usually give us the most pleasure, our people are confused. They love grilled cheese, but also love their lifestyles of health and control.

What can we say that will turn them on?

We’re not saying they have to eat grilled cheese every day! Just to give into their desires every once in a while (ok, at least once a week). A regular indulgence is just the escape they need. But we need to convince them they can allow for an occasional indulgence without the fear of losing all control and ruining their entire healthy lifestyle. Just as Heidi’s grilled cheese deliciousness is scientifically calculated to perfection, so too should our people’s eating of them be deliberate, yet still enjoyable (or it wouldn’t be an escape). Let’s entice them with:

THE BIG IDEA:

Calculated indulgence.

*Please note that the restaurant will also be frequented by Giants baseball fans, so if they’re exposed to the advertising, the message should be appealing to this secondary target as well.