Red Lobster Tries Something New on Ad Menu

Advertiser: Red Lobster restaurants

Agency: Euro RSCG Tatham, Chicago

Challenge: Give Red Lobster a fresh image that distinguishes it from other mid-price restaurant chains.

The Ads: In its new campaign, Red Lobster, a unit of Darden Restaurants Inc., portrays dining at its restaurants as a break from routine. One spot opens as a tumbleweed rolls across a western landscape. “Life on land is dry,” says the voice-over. Next, visuals cut between scenes of adults and children enjoying the surf to shots of them gobbling lobster and shrimp. “It’s time to escape . . . and taste the seafood,” says the voice-over. A second spot uses the “life is dry” theme to tout shrimp.

Comment: Mid-priced restaurant chains typically show plates of sizzling food and thrilled diners. Red Lobster hopes to stand out by using shots of people scampering on the beach. The approach effectively suggests that dining at Red Lobster is no ordinary experience. Diners lately have been unenthusiastic about the chain. Sales were off 2.4% in 1996 and were flat for the three months that ended Aug. 24. $$

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