THE CHALLENGE

Thanks to an incognito visit from Adam Sandler, IHOP had an opportune, yet minute window of time to drive viral, organic conversation.

When Sandler’s IHOP visit and joking Tweet that “the all-you-can-eat deal didn’t apply to the milkshakes” went viral, DeVries seized the PR opportunity to clap back with a laugh.

We tapped into this of-the-moment opportunity to create something bigger – but without the investment of a formal talent partnership.

THE WORK

IHOP answered Sandler’s request for All-You-Can-Drink Milkshakes and in a matter of hours, DeVries concepted and activated Milkshake Monday to satisfy the country’s craving for a brand response. Milkshake Monday was rolled out as a Long Island focused promotion, welcoming guests to enjoy a milkshake in Sandler’s honor.

For every milkshake sold on Milkshake Monday, IHOP donated $1 to Comedy Gives Back, which helped struggling comedians when COVID-19 forced closures of comedy clubs and venues.

THE IMPACT

More than 4 billion earned impressions and nearly 400 placements, without any paid investment.

SOV nearly doubled the week of the activation, making IHOP the #1 brand in its competitive set – generating 3.4X more coverage than the #2 competitor.

Sales of milkshakes doubled versus the year prior in the Long Island, NY restaurant location that sparked the idea.

Adam Sandler also organically posted about the activation, without any paid partnership from the brand.