LANCE FORD | Creative Director
THE
IDEA
Denny's is "America's Diner" and the brand is one that reflects the growing diversity of today's America, a place where people from all walks of life come together. To connect with this diverse customer base, Denny's knew it had to communicate with customers on their terms, and in a way that is relevant to each platform.
DENNY'S IS OPEN 24/7 ON TWITTER
The goal for the Denny's Twitter account was simple: don't sound like a brand Twitter account.
My team and I built a loyal fan base by operating the account like a regular user who cares about the same things they do-whether it be breakfast or memes. With a streamlined approval process we reacted in real-time just like our fellow Twitter users.
PANCAKES:
A SIMPLE DISTRACTION
Having some fun, we wanted to capitalize on everyone's collective feelings regarding the start of 2017. So, by tweeting a stack of our pancakes with the instructions 'zoom in on the syrup' we invited our followers to take a journey that would give them temporary solace from their 'existential dread'.
Amassing over 186K retweets, 298K likes and 30M impressions , social conversation about Denny's skyrocketed 534%. And within 24 hours it became the most successful brand tweet. OF. ALL. TIME!
DENNY'S IS TUMBLR'S DINER
Denny's main objective for Tumblr: just have fun.
Our strategy became one of brand affinity. Our Tumbir fans didn't care to see ads, because frankly that's not why they're on Tumbir. They're there for goofy gifs, cheesy puns and all-around nutso playfulness. So, we played, with our own Denny's spin on it - coffee mug boots, a winking potato, memes and haikus... it's wacky and weird.
A true fandom was created, the first ever to happen for a brand on tumblr.
THE INTERNET'S FAVORITE DINER
As Creative Director, I helped shape Denny’s Tumblr into a place where the brand could genuinely join the conversation rather than just talk at its audience. We leaned into GIFs, weird internet humor, quick-hit text posts and a very human voice—and in the process, built a community that didn’t just follow Denny’s, but actively wanted to engage, share and be part of it.
THE
RESULTS
While I ran Denny’s social media for several years, 2016 and 2017 were the absolute peak. In those two years alone, our strategy pulled in over 638 million total impressions across Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr. Twitter led the way with 362 million impressions and nearly 9 million profile visits, while Instagram’s audience exploded past 207,000 followers at launch and Tumblr tacked on another 184 million impressions
WINNER & AUDIENCE HONOR
Best Brand Tumblr, 2018
WINNER
Best Brand Twitter, 2017
GOLD
Best Brand Twitter, 2018
SILVER &
AUDIENCE HONOR
Real-time Response, 2018
AUDIENCE HONOR
Best Brand Tumblr, 2017
FINALIST
Best Writing (Denny's Twitter), 2018
FINALIST
Best Social Media Presence, 2018
FINALIST
Best Food/Drink Social, 2017
NOMINEE
Best Social Media Presence, 2015
FINALIST
Best Brand on Tumblr, 2014
WINNER
Best Brand Tumblr
SILVER
Golden iPancakes Tweet, 2014
FINALIST
Denny's Twitter, 2015
FINALIST
Denny's Tumblr, 2015
MERIT AWARD
Best Social Media Page by a Brand - Tumblr, 2015
MERIT AWARD
Best Use of a Social Network - Twitter, 2014