Denny’s, America’s iconic family diner, announced today the launch of its first national online marketing campaign targeting the Hispanic consumer. The Funny Or Die spoof video, titled “Skillet Whisperer,” features famed dog behavioralist and TV personality, Cesar Millan, Star of National Geographic WILD’s ‘Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan,’ taming an unruly Denny’s Sizzlin’ Skillet. The video is produced in both Spanish and English to effectively reach a diverse audience.
The comedic “Skillet Whisperer” episode takes place in a Denny’s diner where Millan steps in to help an overwhelmed family who is confronted with an aggressive Western Skillet, from the new “Sizzlin’ Skillets” menu, and teaches the family how to display their dominance to calm the skillet so that it may be eaten and enjoyed in a respectful manner. The video is Millan’s first national restaurant brand partnership and was created to connect with Denny’s growing Hispanic customer base. Also starring in the Spanish version of the video is Millan’s son, Calvin Millan, who plays the son of the family.
“Skillet Whisperer” launches today in Spanish and English versions and is available online at Youtube.com and FunnyOrDie.com, respectively. The branded content video is a further extension of Denny’s “America’s Diner is Always Open” platform, further engaging with the growing Hispanic demographic through a new platform beyond traditional advertising. The videos will also be accessible via Dennys.com, Facebook and other social media platforms.
“Denny’s enjoys strong relationships with our Hispanic guests, which make up the fastest growing demographic at our restaurants and in the U.S. overall,” commented Frances Allen, chief marketing officer of Denny’s Corporation. “We have regularly introduced innovative new campaigns to engage with our target demographics, so we are truly excited to be launching our first video campaign produced in both English and Spanish, with the goal of making it as authentic as possible for our wide variety of guests. We are very pleased to continue our relationship with Funny Or Die and to have the opportunity to be the first restaurant brand to partner with Cesar Millan, who did a fantastic job in the video.”
The online video is the first nationwide campaign developed by Denny’s new Hispanic advertising agency, Casanova Pendrill, which worked in partnership with Denny’s lead agency, Gotham.
“The Hispanic community continues to be vitally important to the Denny’s brand and we are excited to continue spreading its ‘always open’ message with the launch of our first campaign on behalf of the company,” explains Ingrid Otero-Smart, president and chief executive officer of Casanova Pendrill. “The partnership with Funny Or Die and Cesar Millan gives Denny’s the chance to speak to Hispanic consumers in a fresh, fun way, and we look forward to increasing engagement within this audience across all media platforms moving forward.”
