Back in July, IHOP appointed Campbell Ewald L.A. as its lead creative agency following a creative review restricted to IPG agencies. Now, nearly two months later, the agency has launched its first work for the client, introducing the new tagline “Eat Up Every Moment” in the process.
The new campaign presents the staple American diner chain as a place for families to share moments and milestones. In “Rainy Afternoon,” for example, a father realizes over a rainy afternoon trip to IHOP (and via voiceover from Jason Lee) that his little girl, “The one that always ordered hot chocolate with extra whipped cream,” has moved on to coffee.
Other spots in the campaign, which makes its debut today, highlight the chain’s recently-revived Kids Eat Free offering, with a look at two brothers locked in heated battle and an eight year old who has already surpassed her father at math. Each spot focuses on a family and a relatable situation, ending with the new tagline to emphasize the restaurant’s family-friendly positioning, with the implicit suggestion that the chain offers a respite from the usual routine and a wholesome substitute for a home cooked meal when the family schedule gets too demanding. The chain’s always-available breakfast offerings get a shout-out as well, along with the return of fall seasonal variations.