MB Chicken Hero

In May 2024, Mary Brown's Chicken, a Canadian quick-service restaurant (QSR) famous for its fried chicken, set out to relaunch its popular "Batter's Box” meal just in time for the start of the Major League Baseball season. To generate excitement and reach a broader audience, the brand formed a multi-year partnership with MLB star and former Toronto Blue Jays player José Bautista, with plans to leverage the superstar’s widespread appeal to drive media coverage and consumer interest in the relaunch of the Batter's Box meal and deepen the brand’s association with Canadian sports culture.  

Challenges: 

  1. Competitive Market: The Canadian Quick-Service Restaurant (QSR) market is crowded, with many brands competing for consumer attention.  

  1. Brand Awareness: While Mary Brown’s Chicken has a loyal following, reintroducing a past product required substantial media attention and public engagement.  

Insights & Strategy: To overcome these challenges, Mary Brown’s Chicken collaborated closely with José Bautista to create a high-impact, buzzworthy campaign. The strategy included:  

  • National Press Release: A press release was crafted to announce both the partnership with José Bautista and the Batter’s Box meal relaunch. This move was aimed at generating initial excitement and framing the collaboration as a major event for both the brand and the sports community.  

  • Media Outreach: A targeted media strategy focused on securing coverage from top-tier Canadian news outlets. Key interviews were conducted with notable publications such as The Globe & Mail, Global News, CityNews, and SportsCentre.  

  • Leveraging Bautista: Bautista’s involvement added credibility and created additional media buzz. His persona resonated with fans and attracted a lot of media interest.  

 

Results & Impact: Through a well-executed media strategy and a continuous stream of high-profile interviews, the campaign effectively captured the attention of millions of Canadians, generating over +27M earned media impressions. The partnership, combined with a strong connection to sports culture, successfully elevated the relaunch of the Batter’s Box meal and created significant brand engagement.