With the NBA Playoffs in full swing, US salad-based fast food chain Sweetgreen teamed up with new athlete ambassador Devin Booker to front a campaign called ‘Create Your Own’.
The health-led, quick service restaurant’s marketing push – which is spearheaded by a short social video directed by TikTok creator @Owen.han – spans social media (led by YouTube), over-the-top video, search, mobile, audio, plus out-of-home and direct platforms.
The shooting guard stars in a hero spot called ‘Naomi Osaka & Devin Booker – Order Theirs Or Create Your Own’, which dropped on 2 May, and sees the two sports stars create their own athlete-approved Sweetgreen concoctions.
Booker and Osaka’s custom orders will be available in-restaurant and via the brand’s website and app through 5 June.
The spot was helmed in TikTok’s familiar and friendly video style: shot from a birds-eye perspective, with quick cuts and dramatic sound effects featuring the food being prepared.
Created by its own in-house agency, the celebrity-backed push seeks to boost Sweetgreen’s digital orders: an increasingly vital channel in the competitive QSR and fast-casual restaurant space.
In March, Sweetgreen’s first quarter earnings report revealed same-store sales growth of 36% – with 65% of its sales coming from digital orders.
The “Create Your Own” campaign was informed by Sweetgreen data showing that more than 65% of all digital orders are customized with at least one modification: making thousands of unique combinations possible through a digital experience designed with customisation in mind is an increasingly important tactic for competitors in this space.
The chain, which focuses on working with celebrities who can speak to its brand mission and healthy fast food value proposition, rolled out the campaign in early May in a launch timed to leverage Booker’s appearance in the Playoff semi-finals.
“As an athlete, I’m always aware of what I’m putting into my body,” said Booker in a campaign launch PR statement. “I know what ingredients make me feel my best, so when I order my go-to bowl at Sweetgreen, I am confident that every ingredient is going to help fuel my day, on and off the court.”
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The guard, whose Phoenix Suns side finished the regular season with the best record in basketball, is the latest sports star in the brand’s endorser stable which is captained by tennis star Naomi Osaka.
The restaurant brand originally partnered with Osaka in May 2021: weeks before she made headlines for stepping back from competition due to mental health concerns. Since then, its marketing team has doubled-down on working with the tennis star led by a campaign timed to leverage last year’s US Open.
With TikTok taking the pundits as 2021’s most popular website and its ad income set to surpass the combined revenues of Twitter and Snapchat, mastering the look and feel of the platform is becoming increasingly vital for marketers looking to reach younger consumers.
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