Limited-time retro packaging will highlight Chick-fil-A’s heritage, the company said.
Source: Chick-fil-A
For Chick-fil-A’s 80th anniversary, the chicken chain is pulling out all the stops: retro packaging, collectible cups, themed merchandise and even the chance to win free food for a year.
The chain’s anniversary comes as the restaurant industry struggles with declining traffic. To win back diners, many restaurants have relied on deals, trendy promotions and larger marketing budgets.
As a privately held company, Chick-fil-A does not disclose its quarterly financial results, but franchise disclosure documents show the company’s system sales growth slowed to 5.4% in 2024, making it the first year in more than a decade with less than double-digit sales growth.
Chick-fil-A has stayed out of the so-called value wars that other restaurants have leaned into to compete, but this anniversary gives the chain an opportunity to attract more customers to its restaurants. The year-long marketing campaign begins Monday and represents the largest promotional campaign ever for Chick-fil-A. Khalilah Cooper, Chick-fil-A’s vice president of branding, advertising and media, told CNBC that a new ad will highlight the anniversary both in national TV spots and on social media.
At the center of the campaign is what the company calls “newstalgia,” a portmanteau of “new” and nostalgia. »
“We thought of this as a way to celebrate our heritage with customers who have been with us, potentially for decades, for 80 years, or if they’ve been with us for eight days or have never tried Chick-fil-A before,” Cooper said.
For starters, Chick-fil-A also releases four retro collectible cup designs every few weeks, inspired by the company’s archives and the shape of its 32-ounce cup. The chain sells the cups for $3.99 at restaurants nationwide.
Additionally, Chick-fil-A has come up with its own version of Willy Wonka’s famous golden ticket: the Golden Fan Cup. The 3,000 customers who purchase a collectible mug and receive the Golden Fan Cup will receive free Chick-fil-A for a year.
The chain will also offer its iconic chicken sandwich in vintage-inspired packaging for a limited time.
Chick-fil-A plans to sell themed products through its website throughout the year. Customers who visit his restaurants will also be able to purchase limited edition models of his stuffed cows.
Also as part of the campaign, Chick-fil-A is adding its frosted sodas and floats to its menu permanently, starting Monday. Customers can also expect to see more limited-time menu items throughout the year than Chick-fil-A typically offers, according to Cooper.
The emphasis on “newstalgia” will also be the focus of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Friday, when the Oregon Ducks take on the Indiana Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Chick-fil-A traces its roots to 1946, when S. Truett Cathy and his brother opened a restaurant called The Dwarf Grill in Hapeville, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. More than two decades later, Cathy opened the first Chick-fil-A restaurant, with its brand of chicken sandwich. The company is still a family business and Cathy’s grandson Andrew is the CEO.
The private chain system’s sales reached $22.74 billion in 2024, making it the third-largest restaurant chain in the United States, behind McDonald’s and Starbucks. Over the past decade, Chick-fil-A has expanded well beyond its Southeast stronghold, opening locations across the United States and planning to expand its international operations in the United Kingdom and Singapore.