11279: Denny’s Shifts To New Shitty Shop.

Advertising Age reported Denny’s dumped its AOR, Gotham, in favor of its menu-maker agency, Erwin Penland. The Denny’s press release included, “We see the opportunity to both consolidate our business for efficiency and enhance our united national and local marketing and advertising efforts, while upholding the high creative standards that have been set by Gotham.” Um, to label the shit that Gotham shat with “high creative standards” demonstrates the restaurant chain’s low creative standards. Does Denny’s really need breakthrough advertising to hawk its latest bacon-loaded menu item? Solid retail spots should suffice in drawing the Grand Slam® Breakfast enthusiasts. Yet if one is to believe the historically racist restaurant chain’s diversity hype, shouldn’t a minority agency at least have been considered for AOR status?

Denny’s Dumps Creative Agency Gotham In Efficiency Search

Chain Drops Shop Despite Cannes Wins, Gives Account To Erwin Penland

By Rupal Parekh, Maureen Morrison

A CMO change, a big sales slump, or lackluster work that’s not getting recognition. Typically, these are the sorts of things that lead to an ad agency change. But not in the case of Denny’s, which in a surprise move has dumped its agency of record for the past three years, Interpublic Group of Cos.-owned Gotham in New York. It will be replaced by Greenville, S.C.-based agency Erwin Penland.

Erwin Penland has been a partner of Denny’s during Gotham’s time on the account, handling in-store advertising among other duties. The move appears to be part of a desire to cut its roster and work with fewer agencies. Said Denny’s as part of its statement: “We see the opportunity to both consolidate our business for efficiency and enhance our united national and local marketing and advertising efforts, while upholding the high creative standards that have been set by Gotham.”

“It is a badge of honor for us to have worked in a category that’s been down since the recession started and help a brand that’s 60-plus years old be competitors in casual dining and quick serve on a much smaller budget,” said Gotham President Nick Johnson. “And, to do that not just in TV but in digital and social is something we’re very proud of. Last year, we won both a Brand Renaissance Effie and a Branded Content Lion for Effies, and that was less than two years after we won the business from Goodby Silverstein. We are very proud of this case study and have had a number of foodservice clients come to us in the past year-and-a-half based on the Denny’s work. We’re excited to find another partner in the space.”

With Gotham, Denny’s launched a number of campaigns for quirky products that were unusual for the chain-restaurant category. In October, it launched a Middle-Earth inspired menu as part of a tie-in for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” one of the chain’s biggest movie promotions. Gotham also created the campaign for Denny’s Baconalia limited-time offer in 2011, which included a Maple Bacon Sundae—a menu it reprised earlier this year.

Gotham also worked with Denny’s Hispanic agency, Casanova Pendrill, and Dog Whisperer Cesar Milan on a humorous Hispanic branded-content effort. In 2011, Gotham was part of an effort with DumbDumb, Jason Bateman and Will Arnett’s production company with Ben Silverman’s Electus, that saw the creation of a branded-entertainment online talk show that took place in a Denny’s in Hollywood and featured actors such as Mr. Bateman. That campaign, called “Always Open,” was buzzy and won a Cannes Lion.

Denny’s marketing leadership has not changed; Frances Allen, who joined in 2010 from Dunkin Donuts, remains CMO.

Denny’s systemwide sales were up in 1.2% in the U.S. in 2012, according to Technomic. However, after making it through the recession, the company in the first quarter saw a dip in same-store sales of 0.7%, the first drop in nearly two years. That could be one reason why it’s looking to trim ad costs.

The chain in the first quarter was promoting value heavily; President-CEO John Miller said at the time that flagging economic confidence was impeding consumer spending. He added that the company will continue to focus on balancing value and limited-time offers.

11196: Denny’s Needs Rand McNally.

This Denny’s commercial hypes the Red, White & Blue Plate Specials that are as American as apple pie—especially the Apple Pie French Toast.

9746: Denny’s Latest Comedy Killer.

Advertising Age reported on Denny’s latest effort to woo Latinos with a campaign created in conjunction with comedy site Funny of Die. Based on the videos, this endeavor definitely falls into the “Die” category.

Denny’s Partners With Dog Whisperer and Funny or Die to Connect With Hispanics

Campaign Targets Restaurant’s Fastest-Growing Consumer Base

By Maureen Morrison

Though many would be surprised to hear Denny’s and Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan uttered in the same sentence, the two are teaming up for Denny’s first Hispanic branded-content effort.

The move is part of the chain’s initial branded-content effort aimed at Hispanics, and is its first work by new Hispanic agency Casanova Pendrill, which partnered with lead agency Gotham for the effort. Dubbed “Skillet Whisperer,” the video is a spoof on National Geographic Wild’s reality show “Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan.” On the show, Mr. Millan works with owners of aggressive dogs and teaches them how to display their dominance to calm the animals.

In “Skillet Whisperer,” which has English- and Spanish-language versions and was produced by comedy site Funny or Die, Denny’s limited-time-offer Sizzling Skillets take the place of dogs, and Mr. Millan is called upon to tame skillets that are described in a voice-over as “too aggressive to enjoy.” The Spanish version is on YouTube and the English one is on Funny or Die; both will be promoted through a social-media push on Denny’s and Mr. Millan’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Denny’s CMO Frances Allen said the campaign was intended to connect with Hispanics, Denny’s fastest-growing customer base. “We thought it was time to engage a little more with [the Hispanic] audience,” said Ms. Allen. “This year we’ll be making a concerted push.” The Hispanic campaign is part of Denny’s ongoing “America’s Diner Is Always Open” platform, introduced in January 2011. From January through October 2011, Denny’s spent $55.2 million in measured media; the chain spent about $71 million in 2010.

Bringing in Mr. Millan to do a spoof on the Dog Whisperer was the idea of Casanova Pendrill, which won Denny’s Hispanic account in September. In addition to seeking someone unexpected for the Denny’s brand, “we were looking for someone energetic and who would connect with English-speaking Latinos but also the Spanish-preferred Latinos,” said Ingrid Otero-Smart, the agency’s president-CEO. “He has a really great connection with our target.”

The two versions have separate casts because “we wanted to make sure it was authentic,” Ms. Allen said. Mr. Millan’s 13-year-old son is featured in the Spanish-language version.

Mr. Millan has done other sponsorships, including deals with Swiffer and Best Western, but this is his first restaurant sponsorship. Part of the appeal of this project was that Denny’s is a brand everyone recognizes, it ties in naturally with family and the script was humorous, he said. “People are already familiar with Denny’s,” he said. “My goal for this joke, in a way, is to create communication and to create engagement.”

Also part of “America’s Diner Is Always Open” was Denny’s first foray into branded-content territory, “Always Open,” a talk show that ran on IAC’s College Humor last year. Aimed at millennials, the show was written and produced by DumbDumb, a company founded by actors Jason Bateman and Will Arnett with help from Interpublic’s Gotham.

The current push is Denny’s first work with Funny or Die on branded content. Chris Bruss, head of branded entertainment at Funny or Die, said that the video strikes a balance between content and advertising. It also isn’t too product-heavy or trying to mask the branding altogether.

“What is strong about this video is that the whole idea is based around the world of Denny’s,” Mr. Bruss said. “It takes place in a Denny’s, and it’s about a Denny’s product. There’s no pulling the wool over the audience’s eyes.”

Ms. Allen said that “branded content has done well for Denny’s. Our job is to entertain [consumers] in a way that’s relevant for the brand. … It’s important that we find new and interesting ways to connect.”

There are no immediate plans to make the spots into a series, but Mr. Millan said he’d be interested in the opportunity—as long as it’s something that carries on with new content so that “people don’t get bored.”

9041: The Fatastic Four.

Media sources spotlighted four calorie-busters that make Ronald McDonald look like Jamie Oliver. And the winners are:


Denny’s Fried Cheese Melt
(1,260 calories; 21 g saturated fat; 3,010 mg sodium)


Cheesecake Factory’s Farmhouse Burger
(1,530 calories; 36 g saturated fat; 3,210 mg sodium)


IHOP Monster Bacon ‘N Beef Cheeseburger
(1,250 calories; 42 g saturated fat; 1,590 mg sodium)


Applebee’s Provolone-Stuffed Meatballs With Fettuccini
(1,520 calories; 43 g saturated fat; 3,700 mg sodium)

8653: Branded Bullshit.

Badvertising in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Denny’s and new AOR Gotham recently launched a “branded entertainment” campaign. Ironically, the work does a poor job of branding and it’s not very entertaining. Denny’s Chief Marketing Officer Frances Allen gushed, “The ‘Always Open’ series utilizes celebrities to draw attention to the kinds of dialogue you’ll overhear all the time at Denny’s—sometimes funny, sometimes heartwarming, but always authentic.” Right. Can’t wait to see the episode featuring a Black celebrity. Given the restaurant chain’s history of racial discrimination, the “authentic” dialogue should be hilarious.

• The Shack should change its name to The Rack—gun rack, that is. A Radio Shack in Montana is offering customers a pistol or shotgun with special Dish Network packages. The storeowner claims that since launching the promotion last October, business has tripled. Ditto the threat of his store being held up by armed robbers with Dish Network.

7832: Denny’s Grand Slam Exclusivity.

Adweek reported Denny’s hit a grand slam, selecting four White advertising agencies to pitch its business. Worth noting is contender Erwin-Penland in Greenville, South Carolina, which actually boasts a Diversity & Inclusion Council. However, it appears no minority shops were considered—which reflects the way minority diners have historically been treated at Denny’s.

Denny’s Picks 4 Finalists
Winner will succeed Goodby on the nearly $60 mil. assignment

By Andrew McMains

Denny’s has selected four finalists to compete for creative duties on its advertising account, the client has confirmed.

The shops were identified by Denny’s as MDC Partners’ Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners, Omnicom Group’s BBDO and Interpublic Group’s Gotham, all in New York, and IPG’s Erwin-Penland in Greenville, S.C. They have been briefed and will make final presentations in mid-August, according to sources.

The winner will succeed Omnicom’s Goodby, Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco, which split with the client this month.

Denny’s spent $58 million in major measured media last year, according to Nielsen. From January to April of this year, spending totaled $33 million. Those figures don’t include online spending.

The review comes amid the installation of a new chief marketing officer and a month after Denny’s CEO Nelson Marchioli left the company. The new CMO, Frances Allen, previously was CMO of Dunkin’ Brands and a marketing exec at Pepsi.

Goodby had worked on the account since early 2009.

That year and again in 2010, the shop created spots promoting free breakfast offers. Each spot aired during the Super Bowl.

7801: Will Denny’s Discriminate With Agencies?

Adweek reported Denny’s followed its divorce from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners with the hiring of a new Chief Marketing Officer. Given Denny’s infamous history with discrimination and racism, it seems like the perfect opportunity to demonstrate corporate progress by choosing a minority agency to handle its advertising chores.

Ex-Dunkin’ Exec Joins Denny’s as CMO
The chain spends $60 mil. annually in measured media

By Adweek Staff

A week after splitting with Omnicom’s Goodby, Silverstein & Partners on its $60 million ad account, Denny’s has named Frances Allen chief marketing officer, an open position.

She held that title at Dunkin’ Brands from 2007-09, where her primary agency partner was IPG’s Hill, Holliday in Boston. Her resume also includes tenures at Pepsi-Cola, Sony Ericsson and Frito-Lay.

Debra Smithart-Oglesby, interim chief executive officer and board chair of Denny’s, said in a statement: “We believe her ability to drive brand reputation through compelling marketing campaigns will play an important role at Denny’s. [She] will be responsible for enhancing the focus of our national and local marketing efforts in order to re-energize and grow the Denny’s brand.”

Denny’s has more than 6,000 U.S. stores. Most of the chain’s advertising has centered around its breakfast offerings, including high-profile promos in the last two Super Bowls.

The company has had a series of management changes of late, with CEO Nelson Marchioli, who led the firm since 2001, leaving in June amid pressure from investors to transition Denny’s to a franchise-oriented business model.

7578: You Say Potato, I Say Racism.

The story below reports that Denny’s managed to offend Irish Americans with a commercial hyping pancakes and fries by marking the 150th anniversary of Ireland’s potato famine. The restaurant pulled the campaign with an apology/explanation that included, “Denny’s has a history of using humor in its television advertising.” That’s true. But Denny’s also has a history of displaying cultural cluelessness in its television advertising, discrimination in its employment practices and outright racism in its customer relations. Although the restaurant chain does have nifty website dedicated to diversity.

Fighting Irish Protest Denny’s Potato Famine Ad

A recent Denny’s television advertisement, offering unlimited pancakes and fries to mark the 150th anniversary of Ireland’s potato famine, has provoked the unexpected ire of Irish-Americans across the internet.

The ad, which ran in late February and has since disappeared online, touted unlimited starchy treats to customers in celebration of the Great Hunger’s end. The potato blight that caused the famine in the late 1840s resulted in the death of one million and the emigration of another two million, mainly to Boston’s South End.

Just days after the ad first aired, a “Boycott Denny’s” Facebook page appeared, demanding an official apology from the chain. We tracked down the campaign’s leader to see what the fuss is all about.

“They were poking fun at a tragedy that took millions of lives,” says Sarah Conaghan, who administers the Facebook page.

It’s not the first time the “Moons Over My Hammy”–slinging restaurants have run afoul of rights groups, but it is apparently the only instance of name-checking mass starvation to sell fries to stoners at 1 a.m.

Denny’s quickly pulled the spots and issued a statement saying, in part, “Denny’s has a history of using humor in its television advertising,” and that it had no intention to offend.

But Conaghan called the response: “Generic, very insincere.”

The Facebook page continues to add fans and encourages fellow Hibernians to lodge complaints directly by calling a Denny’s 1-800 number. Conaghan says a good old fashioned street protest is not out of the question.

“Our goal is to get the apology now, but by St. Patrick’s Day would be a nice gesture,” she said.

6404: Staying For Breakfast.

Hotcakes and sausages in a MultiCultClassics Monologue.

• The Hawaiian Tropic Zone in New York is closing down for a lengthy renovation project, with management insisting the timing is not related to the recent news of discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuits from female employees. An executive said, “It’s been two years and we’ve had close to a half-million people here. We’re going to use the opportunity to spruce the place up a little bit.” And probably hose the place down to destroy any possible evidence of sexual misconduct.

• About 2 million people took advantage of the Denny’s Free Breakfast promotion on Tuesday. “We’re re-acquainting America with Denny’s,” said the restaurant chain’s CEO. “We’ve never been thanked this much—and folks are saying they’ll come back.” Right. Only if the waitresses are replaced by Hawaiian Tropic Zone castoffs.

Essay 4467

Cops and robbers in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• O.J. Simpson continued to poo-poo all the hype surrounding the robbery incident in Las Vegas (see Essay 4464). “This whole thing is silly,” said Simpson. “They’re trying to make me look like a robber when all I was doing was taking stuff they’d stolen from me.” In a later interview, he remarked, “I’m O.J. Simpson. … How am I going to think that I’m going to rob somebody and get away with it?” Ummm…

• A cop in Columbus, Ohio, resigned after sparking controversy by posting videos on YouTube that dissed Blacks, Jews, illegal immigrants and more. In the videos, the cop and her sister refer to minority groups as “filthy” and blast Jews for abusing their roles in U.S. media and entertainment companies. “Clearly, with her conduct, she does not deserve to wear the badge or belong in the Division of Police,” said Mayor Michael Coleman. “We will not tolerate racist conduct by any employee, and will continue to work with residents and our police to build bridges of trust and cooperation.” The cop’s sister insisted the videos were made for laughs and “to reveal the truth about America.” In a sad and twisted way, they succeeded with the latter.

• A Black family was awarded $600,000 following a lawsuit charging that a White waiter at a St. Louis Denny’s restaurant discriminated against them in 2003. The waiter ignored the family and used racial slurs while serving them. He probably managed to land another gig at Cracker Barrel.