Checkers and Rally’s, which consists of 507 franchises and 324 company-owned locations across 30 states, appointed Atlanta-based McCann Worldgroup agency Fitzgerald & Co as its lead strategic, creative and digital agency following a review. The agency takes over for incumbent 360i in the role, effective immediately.
The move comes as Checkers and Rally’s continues expanding: the chain added 37 new locations in 2015 and plans to add an additional 55 this year. For Fitzgerald & Co, meanwhile, it follows the agency’s appointment as agency of record for Bloomin’ Brands chain Carrabba’s Italian Grill last April and subsequent promotions of Wes Whitener and Mitch Bennett to executive creative director roles, as well as the additions of Liza Ramos as chief talent officer and Mike McGarry as business lead for the agency’s dedicated Coca-Cola creative unit, Fitzco//McCann in August.
“The Checkers and Rally’s brand has been on a winning streak, outpacing category growth in four of the past five years,” said Checkers and Rally’s executive vice president, chief marketing officer Terri Snyder. “We’re now poised to jump to the next level and we were looking for a strategic and creative partner who can really bring to life what consumers love about our food and our brand. Fitzgerald developed a unique perspective on our brand and customer and presented a strategic and creative vision telling the distinctive Checkers & Rally’s story. They also impressed us with the way they work together and involved us in their thinking.”
“Throughout this review, we met great people, found terrific chemistry and had a lot of fun digging into the unique spot Checkers & Rally’s has in the category,” added Fitzgerald & Co CEO Matt Woehrmann. “We are thrilled to be chosen as their partner and can’t wait to create great work for this brand. The win is also a gratifying demonstration of the momentum of our growing and evolving team of talent at Fitzco.”