Tired of 'food-porn advertising', Wingstop SG gets mysterious with hidden flavours

Wingstop Singapore launched its “Order Hidden Flavours” campaign in an unconventional bid to reach out to the younger crowd in the market. The campaign, valued at SG$40,000, aims to promote the release of its Flavours Remixes, three new flavours which were made from a combination of some of the brand's iconic chicken flavours, while also growing its younger consumers pool. 

However, when the series was first launched, the specific flavours were not announced to the public, nor was it shown on the brand's menu - they could only be found in a secret menu; "barely larger than a pinky finger".

Wingstop worked with The AD Makers to generate hype about the new flavours, by challenging the Internet to “Order Hidden Flavours”. Until 15 November 2021, customers had to say the secret code “Order Hidden Flavours” at the counter to receive the hidden menu. Additionally, Wingstop engaged with regular Instagram users - as opposed to influencers - to drive engagement on the platform. Selected Instagram users were given creative freedom in content creation, where the only requirement was that the caption “Order Hidden Flavours” is included in the content. 

Wingstop's spokesperson told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that the idea for the campaign came from being put off by the "overexposed, oversaturated food-porn advertising" around consumers, who feel numb towards them. "Instead of having the brand shout out how good it looks and how delicious it is, we collaborate with real people on the internet to spread the word about the new flavours by hiding it away. In short, we are not the one bombarding or 'self-promoting' the flavours, the Internet people are doing it themselves," the spokesperson added.

Henry Phan from The AD Maker, who is also the creative director behind the campaign, also added that the campaign taps on the inquisitive nature of youth to create an atmosphere of curiosity and appetite for these hidden flavours; inducing cravings from Wingstop’s main target audience. “Nobody knows what it is, yet everyone wants it,” Phan said. 

Customers who ordered the hidden flavours were also encouraged to ride on the trend of uploading creative content, without revealing the what the flavours are. At the same time, Wingstop created a private Instagram account "@wsohf", which can only be followed by users who can list the names of the three new flavours. The Instagram account served as an online community for fans to celebrate their love for Wingstop and its hidden flavours. Riding on the celebratory wave, Wingstop also launched a giveaway exclusively for followers of "@wsohf", where one lucky follower will win a year's supply of Wingstop and a vinyl record.

The campaign had successfully generated numerous organic online and offline discussion, expanding beyond Instagram and into other platforms such as TikTok and Twitter. While the campaign is still ongoing, Wingstop's spokesperson told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that as of 26 November, Wingstop has seen a 287% increase in social reach and 251% increase in social engagement during the campaign, compared to its monthly average.

The hidden flavours then revealed on 16 November, and will be available until end of the month. Wingstop's spokesperson added that the Flavour Remixes will be sold as a festive package - ideal for eight people - until 3 January 2022, and that Wingstop plans to continue growing its brand and acquiring new fans, especially the younger generation, in 2022.

Wingstop is not the only F&B brand to diverge away from run-of-the-mill marketing tactics. Earlier this month, McDonald's Singapore released its limited edition Jenga sets as part of its "McDelivery Night In" campaign. The two Jenga sets, fashioned after the brand's iconic Big Mac and French fries, are available for a week from 16 November and 23 November 2021 respectively. To get an exclusive McDonald's Jenga set, fans simply have to purchase any one of the five Jenga set bundles, available only via McDelivery. To promote and build hype around the new campaign, McDonald's Singapore has been pushing out social content since 11 November 2021. To further entice fans, it unveiled a 24-hour advance sale on its Big Mac Jenga set, exclusively for McDonald's subscribers. To join McDonald's subscription, consumers will have to update their McDonald's account preferences to agree to receive marketing materials from the company.

Additionally, malt whisky Monkey Shoulder launched its limited-edition pyjama suits, which it says will help people who work from home (WFH) "go from ZZZs to Zoom". Tapping on the WFH pool in Singapore, the pyjama suits is the second installation of Monkey Shoulder's "Don’t Let The Grind Get You Down" campaign; which aims to help the working population in Singapore escape the stresses of the rat race and the monotomy of WFH. Co-created with Laughing Tiger, the pyjama suit was crafted to adorn a business look, allowing wearers to smoothly transition from their beds to their Zoom calls. 

Asia is contributing some of the best social media work in today's marketing and as such, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE is pleased to present Hashtag Asia to you. As Asia’s first dedicated social media award show, Hashtag Asia seeks to honor and recognise the best social media work from Asia. 

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