Wawa Hoagiefest 2012
Wawa & Archer Celebrate Classic Hoagies
Hoagiefest 2012 marked the well-loved campaign’s fifth year, and it was time for reinvention. There was an exciting new promotion, and Wawa wanted to evolve the look and feel from the original Peter Max-style animations to focus more on the food and the breadth of the offer (all 30+ Classic Hoagie varieties, including breakfast hoagies, on sale for the duration of the campaign). Not everything would change though—it was also important to preserve the spirit of Hoagiefest that Wawa fans have come to cherish.
Setting the scene for a Classic Summer
To make sure the new campaign maintained some elements of the old, Archer conceived a big idea that celebrated summer but was current and more familiar to the Wawa audience. Thus, “Hoagiefest: Classic Summer” was born.
“Classic Summer” spoke to the promotion itself—Classic Hoagies for $4.79—as well as the idea of nostalgic summertime activities. Our creative team developed a campaign that revolved around four timeless summer scenarios—going to the beach, enjoying an amusement pier, visiting a lake, and taking a road trip in a convertible. Delicious Wawa Classic Hoagies were always in the forefront of each execution, along with the vibrant new Hoagiefest logo and tagline “Bigger & Better Than Ever!” In addition, Wawa once again enlisted singer-songwriter Parry Gripp to write three new Hoagiefest songs as fun and memorable as those in previous years.
Bigger, better, broader: Reaching the masses
Hoagiefest 2012 afforded the broadest reach yet. Archer came up with ways to reach customers on all their devices, starting with the newly redesigned Wawa.com. The campaign was perfectly timed with the launch of the redesign, and the new Hoagies & Sandwiches website channel was decked out for Hoagiefest, featuring information about the varieties, in-store deals, and all the ways to get involved in Hoagiefest contests, social media, and more.
On Facebook, Archer created a Hoagiefest tab that Fans had to "unlock" with Likes. Each unlock revealed something new about this year's campaign. For further user participation and sharing, we devised an elaborate posting strategy to promote the offer and announce news, contests, giveaways, and more. Hoagiefest 2012 also saw the introduction of Wawa on Twitter.
The Hoagie Tracker mobile app was another exciting first for Hoagiefest. Archer developed the Hoagie Tracker as a fun, engaging way to reward the biggest fans with prizes, introduce new hoagie varieties, and spread the word about Hoagiefest through sharing.
Hoagies, hoagies everywhere!
Archer and Wawa leveraged online display media to show millions of Wawa customers the new Hoagiefest creative. The contest and four summer scenarios were advertised across video and audio sites, on social networks, and with mobile placements. A few specialty takeovers and premium placements, combined with some unique mobile and desktop pre-roll video spots, rounded out the opportunities to announce and communicate the online campaign to Wawa customers.
The reinvention of Hoagiefest in 2012 proved to be a successful endeavor for Archer and Wawa and an enjoyable experience for the fans. Hoagie sales outdid those of past years, and engagement was at an all-time high. Online creative received more than 100 million impressions, and the Hoagie Tracker app really engaged fans, who then shared their hoagie purchases with millions of their friends across social networks.
