Shake Shack’s Oscars Campaign Includes a Hollywood Makeover, Influencers, and a Guessing Game

Shake Shack is engaging with its audience during this weekend’s Oscar Awards ceremony as part of its outreach strategy.

To do this, Shake Shack is hosting a guessing game based on the duration of Sunday night’s awards show. If the show runs over or under 3 hours and 31 minutes, Shake Shack customers nationwide will receive a free Chicken Shack sandwich OR SmokeShack burger.

To get the word out about it, Shake Shack will leverage its own social media channels as well as partnering with a few key creators to tap into their audiences and get as many eyes on this promotion as possible. Its currently not known which influencers will participate in this campaign.

From 3/11 to 3/18, customers who spend $10 at any Shake Shack location or online can use code BIGWINS for a free sandwich or burger at checkout. If the awards show exceeds 3 hours and 31 minutes, the free sandwich will be the Chicken Shack; otherwise, it will be the SmokeShack. Offer valid until 3/18.

According to Mike McGarry, VP of Brand Marketing at Shake Shack, the company sees value in leveraging cultural events in unique ways year-round. The decision to engage with Hollywood’s biggest night reflects this strategy, aiming to provide Shake Shack fans with an exciting opportunity to participate and be rewarded during the lengthy awards show. This approach emphasizes the brand’s commitment to creating memorable experiences for its customers and capitalizing on significant cultural moments to enhance engagement and loyalty.

“It’s in our DNA to craft memorable, feel-good moments for Shack fans. Everyone can get behind rooting for their favorite actors and films on Hollywood’s biggest night, but also rooting for shorter or longer speeches, depending on if you’re a Chicken Shack stan or if the SmokeShack is more your style,” said McGarry.

The Oscars promotion at Shake Shack comes just a month after the brand’s Valentine’s Day initiative, during which the company highlighted Korean culture through a limited-time menu option. By diversifying its brand strategies through experimental campaigns, McGarry hopes to reach a new audience as well as maximize its brand position.

“We love tapping into cultural moments in unexpected ways throughout the year. What bigger moment to do this than Hollywood’s biggest night? We know it can be a long show, and we wanted to give Shack fans something to root and be rewarded for, no matter when the curtain finally falls,” said McGarry.

Additionally, Shake Shack will transform its West Hollywood location into an Oscars-themed venue for a one-night-only event exclusive to guests visiting the West Hollywood Shack on the night of the awards ceremony. This initiative aims to create an enjoyable experience that allows more guests to feel involved in the excitement of the event, with everyone welcomed as a star.

McGarry expressed that Shake Shack is not getting involved with marketing initiatives related to March Madness as of yet, but may do so if it feels like the right mix will benefit Shake Shack’s brand image.

Molly Barth, Senior Cultural Strategist at Sparks & Honey, expressed her admiration for Shake Shack’s ability to tap into the growing cultural frustration surrounding award shows like the Oscars. She highlighted the boredom often associated with lengthy speeches and the broader dissatisfaction with an awards industry that frequently overlooks marginalized artists. Barth commended Shake Shack for infusing much-needed relevance into the Oscars with their campaign, suggesting that it might attract more viewers curious to see which free sandwich they could win. She also noted that the campaign’s snarky humor is likely to resonate particularly well with younger consumers.

“I’d also say that there’s definitely a growing movement amongst many QSRs to premiumize their offerings amidst consumers’ inflationary concerns, and Shake Shack is a great example of this,” she said. “By transforming their West Hollywood location, they’re elevating the dining experience with an experiential offering that may attract guests looking to trade-down from full-service restaurants.”