Bill Palmer, Applebee’s founder, originally described Applebee’s target as “the Everyday Joe.” So everything Applebee’s does is meant to resonate broadly with anyone who is craving good food and good vibes. In 2021, America was in need of both. The relief of “making it through” 2020 was quickly met with the realization that 2021 would be more of the same. People oscillated between at-home and in-person events, and just when things would start to feel “normal” again, the pendulum would swing the other way. Many people felt uneasy, joyless and aimless amidst the ongoing uncertainty.

In fact, a survey from OnePoll revealed half of Americans felt that 2021 was the worst year of their lives. But when asked about their overall outlook on life, nearly eight in 10 people (78%) described themselves as optimists. Americans weren’t a bunch of pessimists, they just hadn’t had a dose of optimism in a while, and they needed a big helping of it quickly.

So, they began to seek optimism in new places. And there was one place that trumped all: TikTok. In 2021, TikTok was America’s happy place. Time spent on the app helped us escape our issues and ongoing pandemic uncertainty, providing respite in the form of feel-good music, dance and ASMR videos. If Applebee’s wanted to bring good vibes to culture, TikTok was the place to start it.

We partnered with country singer Walker Hayes to hijack a TikTok song about Applebee’s and turn it into a massive culture-driving vibe shift. On June 13th, Walker Hayes posted a TikTok debut of “Fancy Like.” The catchy song includes a refrain about his date night tradition at Applebee’s: Yeah, we fancy like Applebee's on a date night / Got that Bourbon Street steak with the Oreo shake! We worked with Hayes to amplify a Fancy Like dance and reward participants by showcasing them in our ads. As the song spread across TikTok, we created a 360° campaign using UGC and a meal to match. We even brought the Oreo Shake back on the menu (a feat that normally takes six months; we did in one).

To stay true to the song’s debut on TikTok, we sourced user generated TikTok #FancyLike videos to create TV, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube content for the campaign. On TV, we even featured UGC in their native 9x16 format.All content included a call-to-action in the form of the “Fancy Like” refrain: Get that Bourbon Street Steak with the Oreo Shake! Walker even recorded an audio and radio placement, promoting the Fancy Like meal in his own voice.

The final piece to further infiltrate culture was to incorporate Walker Hayes himself. Hayes participated in a Media Day and spoke with targeted press and broadcast aimed at driving traffic to the restaurant, during a packed three-hour window with 24 interviews with national and local media from ABC News and USA Today to Taste of Country and WGN Chicago.