Leo Burnett Chicago has won the Creative Commerce Grand Prix for its ‘Thighstop’ campaign for US food chain Wingstop.
When the supply of chicken wings ran out in 2021 due to the pandemic, Wingstop found itself looking at several months with nothing to sell. When the company decided to sell chicken thighs instead of wings, it was faced with the need for a rapid re-branding campaign. Leo Burnett’s solution succeeded brilliantly.
“We were looking for commerce-led thinking that did justice to the brand and solved a genuine business problem — and ‘Thighstop’ did that to perfection,” said Creative Commerce jury president Beth Ann Kaminkow, global CEO of VMLY&R Commerce and CEO of VMLY&R NY. “Wingstop reinvented its brand in a matter of days. They earned 6.5 billion media impressions with a cheeky and funny campaign.
In fact, Leo Burnett defines what’s possible with a campaign that is absolutely bursting with seasoned experience.”
Kaminkow said the success of ‘Thighstop’ has given other brands “permission to implement truly consumer-centric ideas”. She added: “To have pivoted so brilliantly literally overnight is a true reflection of our times and makes us look at the world differently. Their agility was totally breathtaking.”