Red Lobster Collaborates with Pastor Shirley Caesar to Announce Unexpected Holiday Menu

This holiday season, Red Lobster is challenging Americans to push past the boring holiday fare of hams, tired turkeys, and over-stuffed stuffing and go with something a little more unexpected: the Lobster and Shrimp Celebration. 

The brand and its agency partner, Barkley, are bringing this menu news to life with the help of Pastor Shirley Caesar, a living legend, known for her powerful messages and an incredible gospel career that has earned her 12 Grammys. 

In 2015, Pastor Caesar became internet famous when a snippet of her sermon, 'Hold My Mule,' was remixed into a social video that instantly went viral as a celebration of holiday food and is still shared widely each holiday season. Fast forward to 2023, Pastor Caesar has created a new holiday remix with Red Lobster, but instead of calling out 'Greens, Beans, Potatoes, Tomatoes,' Caesar now passionately calls out the delicious details in the new Red Lobster holiday menu. Barkley reimagined Pastor Caesar's original lyrics and recorded the gospel legend for the brand's new TV and social executions. 

The 'We Got It' spot includes subtitled lyrics and a bouncing ball - or lobster in this case - technique so viewers can sing along to the holiday remix. The spot also calls on a visual treatment that builds off of internet culture trends using GIFs and boomerang techniques. Additionally, the holiday remix song will be featured across Red Lobster's paid and organic social channels, including a TikTok challenge where Fun Diners can sing along.

The new holiday effort builds on the chain's category-of-one positioning to be more elevated than its casual dining competitors, yet more fun than stuffy fine dining restaurants.