It’s only been a couple of weeks since Grey NY won the Red Lobster account. Although the Darden-owned chain is keeping their current agency, Richards Group, until the end of the year, the company is already transitioning their approach to advertising.
As one current ad points out, Red Lobster is not only a place for Midwesterners to pretend they live near an ocean with fresh seafood and where children tap violently on the lobster tanks near the front door, but a restaurant to enjoy “laughs over a coastal soup and grilled shrimp salad, catching up over wood-grilled shrimp and chicken, and … an hour you wouldn’t trade for anything.” Big words for a chain that we normally only look to inform us whether or not it’s time for “Lobster Fest.”
Much like Olive Garden, a chain also owned by Orlando-based Darden, Red Lobster seems to be hoping to use Grey to switch their focus from images of steamy food flying around in slow motion to the customer experience. After all, Grey is responsible for transforming Olive Garden into the restaurant to take a date with a “never ending” appetite. Odds are a similar approach will be taken to enhance the Red Lobster’s marketing.
And, yes, for those wondering: “Endless Shrimp” is back!