• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, February 2, 2012

In the latest example of its overall strategy of ramping up marketing to specific demographics in tandem with broader outreach to its diverse customer base, Denny’s is launching a national campaign featuring two videos on the same, “Skillet Whisperer” theme: One a Spanish-language version featuring Hispanic actors; the other an English-language, general-market version with non-Hispanic actors.

Producing unique iterations of an ambitious, three-minute video concept to ensure resonance with both target audiences, as opposed to overdubbing, is somewhat notable in itself.

But the Spanish-language video and its marketing support also mark the restaurant chain’s first national, online branded-content campaign targeting Hispanics, as well as the first national campaign from Denny’s’ new Hispanic agency, Casanova Pendrill (which worked with Denny’s’ lead/general-market agency, Gotham, on this effort).

The three-minute videos share an identical spoof premise: Cesar Millan, star of the National Geographic Wild channel’s hit show “Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan,” is called in to tame a hot, loudly hissing Western Skillet meal, from Denny’s limited-time (February/March) Sizzlin’ Skillets Menu.

The Ortiz family (or Mildred family, in the general-market version) is afraid to tackle their meal because the Western Skillet “has bad table manners, and is far too unruly to approach without the proper experience.” (The meals are “supposed to be enjoyed, not feared,” note the respective families’ fathers.)

Millan comes to the rescue, introducing the aggressive skillet meal to the “calm, submissive energy of a salad” and taking it outside to release some of its pent-up energy. “Your Skillet doesn’t know if you’re a CEO, a movie star, a spiritual counselor, or a janitor -- and honestly, it doesn’t care,” deadpans Millan. “Your Skillet cares about the role you play in this life.” Asked if the meal might have calmed down simply by cooling off, without benefit of his behavioral techniques, Millan dismisses the notion out-of-hand.)

The campaign -- part of the “America’s Dinner is Always Open” platform launched in January 2011 -- is Millan’s first endorsement for a national restaurant chain, and his son, Calvin, is an actor in the Hispanic video. 

The main site for the Hispanic version is YouTube, while the main site for the general-market version -- reflecting Denny’s targeting of Millennials -- is FunnyorDie.com (although the latter is also on YouTube).

Denny’s’ one million-plus rewards program members were sent a “sneak peek” email with links to the videos the day before the videos’ official launch.

The videos are being supported by banner ads on YouTube, FunnyorDie and Hulu, and the general-market video is featured on Denny’s site. Both videos are being promoted both on Denny’s’ and Millan’s Facebook and Twitter presences, and on Millan’s site (CesarsWay.com, which offers its content in Spanish, as well as English). Under Facebook’s timeline format, Millan currently has 1.7 million public subscribers and 4,600+ friends; on Twitter, he has nearly 361,000 followers.

Denny’s is simultaneously running a general-market national campaign for the Sizzlin’ Skillets Menu. That creative, from Gotham, is distinct from the Millan videos’, although the two campaigns share a focus on the meals’ “sizzle-speak language,” John Dillon, Denny’s VP of marketing, tells Marketing Daily. The marketing team considered adapting the English-language version of the Millan video for TV spots, but decided that cutting the three-minute video down to a 30-second ad “removed the magic” of the longer video, Dillon explains.

Denny’s has been running dedicated, Spanish-language campaigns on national radio and television for at least a decade. Its new partnership with Casanova Pendrill reflects a decision to become “more aggressive” about its marketing and outreach approaches to Hispanics, the chain’s fastest-growing customer segment, says Dillon. On average, Hispanics now represent more than one in five of the chain’s day-to-day patrons nationwide (and higher proportions in California, Texas and other Southwestern states), he reports.

The Hispanic version of the new Sizzlin’ Skillets videos represents an extension of Denny’s’ successful branded-entertainment campaigns for other key audience segments, Dillon points out.

Millennial-oriented efforts have included “Always Open” Webisodes on CollegeHumor.com, featuring David Koechner interviewing celebrities; and content/engagement offerings around the chain’s “Let’s Get Cheesy!” limited-time menu offerings. The family/kids audience was offered online/social media activities around Denny’s’ 2011 holiday menu tie-ins with the “Arthur Christmas” movie.

According to Creativity-Online.com, Denny’s spent $55.2 million in measured media between January and October 2011, and about $71 million in full-year 2010.