Bonafide Red Lobster Fan Flavor Flav Steps Up to Help Restaurant

Beloved seafood brand Red Lobster is starting a fresh chapter with a brand new Crabfest campaign featuring America's ultimate hype man, Flavor Flav. The campaign launches as the seafood brand seeks to continue writing its story following filing for chapter 11 last month - news that sent the Internet into a tailspin, according to Buzzfeed, and rallied many passionate fans from Tank (no relation to lobster tank) to the one and only, Flavor Flav himself. 

Flavor was so distraught in fact, that he not only shared his dismay across the internets, he reached out directly to the brand to offer his help. And as if that wasn’t enough, Flavor Flav started visiting Red Lobster restaurants across the country - oftentimes ordering the 'whole menu' to show his support. While some news outlets may have suggested that “Red Lobster’s going away!” your boy Flavor Flav is saying - “not today!”

Leveraging the next promotional window, Crabfest, Red Lobster and its creative agency BarkleyOKRP capitalised on the moment (pivoting away from the previously approved creative at the last moment) and injected some bold 'Flavour' into the work, with fresh :15 and :30 second spots featuring the cultural icon, as well as social videos produced by Flav himself. Additional assets include social outreach, an A/R social filter and creative effects, and Flavor Flav-inspired merchandise, including bibs and a one-of-a-kind Cheddar Bay Biscuit inspired watch necklace (Flavor’s signature swag) created for Flavor Flav. The :30 second spot launched online today and the :15 second spot will air on TV in the coming weeks.

Sara Bittorf, chief experience officer at Red Lobster said, “We love seeing our fans show up and rally for us, so when Flavor Flav reached out, we answered the call and invited him to join us in reminding fans we’re here to stay.”