In 2018, Denny’s wanted to bring to life its brand purpose: "We love to feed people." Not only was it guiding everything the brand said and did in advertising, it was also to inspire an entirely new action. When wave after wave of devastation through natural disasters hit the nation, Denny’s wanted to find a way to help and take the story of loving to feed people to the next level. The idea was born through one simple text message, from the agency’s CCO to Denny’s President and CBO, and within a matter of weeks was put into action and the Mobile Relief Diner was born.

When Denny’s saw the incredible devastation that Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma had on many parts of Texas and South Florida, respectively, they knew it was time to rethink the diner and take the story of loving to feed people to the next level. The idea started by putting the diner on wheels, bringing to life the Mobile Relief Diner - a customized, 53-foot mobile

kitchen— to serve free pancake breakfasts throughout those communities recovering from these devastating natural disasters. The sheer scale, and branding, of the truck as it showed up around the country, was designed to attract the attention of local residents and media. The functionality of the Mobile Relief Diner made it possible to prepare virtually anything, but the idea behind the activation was that a pancake breakfast with bacon was the perfect, comforting dish and was immediately synonymous with the brand.

The truck was designed to be there where it mattered most, when Houston flooded, in The Keys when a hurricane hit, California during the fires and on the coast of North Carolina. Where people had not had a hot meal in days, let alone a cup of coffee. This was the primary message, supporting Denny’s brand purpose, ‘We Love to Feed People’ that was highlighted throughout all media outreach. The story of the Mobile Relief Diner was created to target all Denny’s consumers in need, but also to provide a relevant and newsworthy brand story on a national and local level during this time of national disaster. A national press release with a highly emotional brand video showcasing the build and deployment of the truck, along with localized media advisories in the areas of deployment, were created to achieve widespread media awareness at the time of launch.

The PR team conducted national media outreach with an official press release detailing the Mobile Relief Diner, its mission and the brand purpose. A branded video and images were used with MultiVu news distribution to spread the message far and wide, with a direct overview of how the truck was springing into action with immediate deployment to North Carolina in the midst of Hurricane Florence. Localized media advisories were also distributed to help provide local residents and media with information on locations and times where they could receive a hot meal. A standalone Twitter account (https://twitter.com/DennysMRD) was also created to provide both residents and media with real-time updates on the truck’s location to allow it to move as needed to feed as many residents as it could.