EXPLORE GWINNETT

THE BURGERHEAD SAGA

Role: Strategy, Concept, Copywriting, Scriptwriting, Directing, Acting 

Channels: Digital, Outdoor, Print

WINNER: CAMPAIGN, NASHVILLE ADDYS 2019 

BRIEF: Explore Gwinnett was launching an exciting new week-long event called Burgers + Brews in 2017. The event name says it all: Custom $5 cheeseburgers from Gwinnett County's coolest restaurants paired with killer craft beers that aren't all IPAs. It's a slam dunk concept for an event, but there's massive competition in Atlanta. A hip burger joint opens every week. How do we convince consumers to schlep over to Gwinnett County to get beefed? 

We needed to launch the event with something memorable and attention-grabbing. Ads with tasty looking burgers are a dime a dozen. How could our campaign stand out? What would get people to put down their cheeseburgers and go buy our cheeseburgers? 

EXECUTION: In a cohesive campaign across digital, print, and outdoor, we introduced BURGERHEAD, a half-burger, half-man, looking for connection in a world where people just want to eat him. 

We blanketed Atlanta with our campaign. Billboards on the 85. Print ads in the Sunday AJC. Video spots on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. In-person events with t-shirts featuring an animated Burgerhead. 

Awareness was sky-high, but would high awareness lead to foot traffic in participating restaurants? 

Damn right.

The event was bigger than anticipated with participating restaurants selling out of the custom burgers and reporting increased traffic in stores. 

The ultimate question was: Will a one-time event become an annual tradition? In no small part thanks to Burgerhead, the answer was a resounding yes. (See below for Season 2 where we went weirder and more existential.) 

And yes, that's me playing BURGERHEAD. It's undoubtedly my greatest acting performance and my mom was very proud to see my burger face on an Atlanta billboard. 

SEASON 2