• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, January 30, 2018

In the crowded “better burger” segment of fast food, newcomer BurgerFi knew it had to find an unexpected way to get noticed. So its new “Burgers For Every 1” campaign stars those who inhabit wonderfully (if weirdly) exceptional achievements, like “The Top 1% of Minivan-Driving Metal Moms,” “The Top 1% of Aspiring Amateur Ventriloquists” and “The Top 1% of Danger Seeking Daredevils.”

The new campaign came from intense study of the segment, says Pete VonDerLinn, executive creative director at Partners + Napier, the Rochester, N.Y.-based agency that created it. BurgerFi, which got its start in 2011 and has grown to some 100-plus restaurants, mostly in Florida, settled on defining itself by the exceptional quality of its burgers, using the top 1% of 100% natural Angus beef patties, which have no steroids, antibiotics, chemicals, growth hormones or other additives. 

“That quality was news to consumers,” he tells Marketing Daily, “and it also became clear that the chain sees the service and experience it provides as also being that exceptional.”

From there, he says, the fun started. “Once we landed on this idea of finding these top 1%, we came up with hundreds of characters, people who are the best of the best at something they do.”

He says calling out these somewhat wacky specialists feeds into one of the key insights into what motivates customers: “People come to BurgerFi to celebrate something, whether it’s just getting through a tough work week, or getting all three kids to soccer practice. We want it to pop to mind when they feel like they need a reward.”

The fast-growing chain plans to expand its franchise base to some 500, with 25 planned for this year. And it says revenue increased 14% in 2017, “significantly outperforming the restaurant industry.”

Ads are running on its social channels, radio, outdoor and in its restaurants.