Ad of the Day: Applebee's

Applebee's serves only the freshest, and the finest, at great prices. It promises. And it won't bore you to death with snobby details about the ingredients. Yesterday, the casual-dining restaurant launched "See You Tomorrow," its first campaign from new agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky. The tagline positions Applebee's as the champion of a sort of anti-foodie backlash, pitching fare that purports to be tasty, and simple, but still somewhat classy—for example, new summer dishes like Lemon Shrimp Fettucine and Florentine House Sirloin. The spots rest on a pretty well-worn advertising trope—straight talk—and star a commercial announcer who cuts off windbag chefs as they launch into dissertations on the provenance of their produce. But they're also significantly less cheesy than the brand's previous ads—and nicely seasoned with chuckle-worthy moments. "Carl, you're doing it again," the says the voiceover, interrupting a stunned gourmet's riff on tomato pigment just as your eyes are starting to glaze over. "You're talking about tomatoes like they're your children." Hey! We know people who do that! Good ribbing. Funny. Not too mean. Sure, the brand is trying to have its cake and eat it, too: It wants to cast itself as being in tune with the growing interest in fresh, quality fare but also distance itself from the pretentiousness of the food zealots. It also may be on point for a target audience that wants to feel like it's eating upscale, at a steal, but don't want to obsess over the details. The tagline is, "See you tomorrow," which is meant to promise fresh experiences for even the most regular of regulars. It's classic food porn with a faux-haute twist—a dinner bell for the happily apathetic. CREDITS Client: Applebee's Campaign Title: C4 Fresh Flavors of Summer Executions: Lemon Shrimp Fettuccine, Florentine House Sirloin Agency: Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Boulder, Colo. Worldwide Chief Creative Officer: Rob Reilly VPs, Executive Creative Directors: Steve Babcock, Mark Taylor VP, Creative Director: Allen Richardson Creative Directors: Dave Swartz, Scott MacGregor Associate Creative Directors: Rich Ford, Brandt Lewis Senior Art Director: David Gonsalves Integrated Head of Video: Chad Hopenwasser Senior Integrated Producer: Aaron Kovan Integrated Producer: Annie Turlay Food Shoot Production Company: MJZ Food Shoot Director: Irv Blitz Executive Producer: Franny Freiberger Production Supervisor: Sabrina Mossberg Live-Action Production Company: Moxie Pictures Live-Action Director: Jared Hess Executive Producers: Robert Fernandez, Lizzie Schwartz Head of Production, Producer: Roger Zorovich Line Producer: Laura Heflin Director of Photography: Dariusz Wolskio Postproduction: Plus Productions VP, Executive Producer: Idalia Deshon Integrated Producer: Andrea Krichevsky Editor: Logan Hefflefinger Assistant Editors: Chancler Haynes, Chadwick Schultz VFX Artist: Adam Nix Finishing Company: Method Studios Executive Producer: Robert Owens Music Company: JSM Executive Integrated Music Producer: Bill Meadows Composers, Arrangers: Joel Simon, Jordan Lieb Sound Design, Mix Company: Lime Studios Sound Designer: Sam Casas Assistant Sound Designer: Matthew Miller Animation Company: Buck Visual Effects Company: Method Studios Visual Effects Editor: Claus Hansen Assistant Visual Effects Editor: Krysten Richardson Visual Effects Producer: Colin Clarry EVP, Group Account Director: Danielle Whalen VP, Account Director: Scott Sibley Content Management Supervisor: Ted Morse Content Supervisor: Greg Paige Content Manager: Derek Effinger Assistant Content Manager: Alex Kirk Business Affairs: Lisa Gillies Talent Consultant: Michelle Thompson Cognitive Anthropologists: Andrew Teagle, Kaylin Goldstein, Amelia Hall Traffic Manager: Megan O'Rourke

Brand Marketing

Ad of the Day: Applebee's

Dining chain gets classier, but not too snooty, in its first ads from CP+B

Gabriel Beltrone

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Gabriel Beltrone