As a leader in the quick-service restaurant industry and expert in all things culture, Jack in the Box is at the forefront of food innovation, continuously bringing new and existing customers creative and memorable ways to engage with their menu. Jack’s loyal and “unruly” customers know a thing or two about fandoms — something Jack in the Box brought to life by partnering with the most unruly superhero sensation this year: Deadpool.
Anyone who’s seen the Deadpool films knows that the character is a self-proclaimed lover of all Mexican food, but there happens to be one in particular that he loves most: Chimichangas. Jack in the Box, connoisseur of tiny Mexican cuisine and a bit unruly himself, is a bit of a kindred spirit to Deadpool’s rowdy, yet loveable persona. The new movie release felt like the perfect opportunity to celebrate unruliness big time — or, mini time. In anticipation of the Deadpool x Wolverine Summer Box Office release, Jack in the Box became the real hero by adding limited-time Mini Chimi Bang Bangs to menus for moviegoers to enjoy a craveable snack all summer long.
This partnership set out with the goal to position Jack in the Box as the QSR ingrained in pop culture while also promoting the new product, and earning headlines that reflected these efforts. As part of the strategy to engage media and consumers outside of the food space, the team targeted some of the biggest true fans of both Jack and Deadpool: Nerds.
Jack in the Box wasn’t the only one committed to the bit with Deadpool. Other partnerships associated with Deadpool x Wolverine were dominated by massive brand titans like Heinz, Xbox, and Old Spice – each vying for attention around the highly anticipated film release. Jack in the Box needed to carve out a distinctive space that would resonate with the movie's irreverent audience. This meant creating an experience that wasn't just a passive logo placement or generic movie tie-in, but a genuinely surprising and memorable marketing moment that celebrated culture’s favorite anti-hero and cut through the noise of bigger, more established brand collaborations.
In order to stand out and cater to the fan-driven nerd crowd and still highlight product messaging pull-through, the Jack in the Box team hosted a “premiere” of their own, where Jack Box himself unveiled the Mini Chimi Bang Bangs and celebrated the partnership at a media event for entertainment, lifestyle and nerd outlets. The IRL experience gave media the chance to try the item before it officially hit menus and was widely marketed, positioning Jack in the Box as a brand in the know and ahead of the curve.
Then, to sustain coverage and truly give the fans what they wanted, Jack in the Box turned up the heat with a one-of-a-kind Deadpool & Wolverine wrapped store location takeover in downtown San Diego during the city’s major, annual Comic Con event. In addition to the artfully wrapped building, fans could earn exclusive collectible items such as the Deadpool and Wolverine Big AL Pack with every purchase of the Mini Chimi Bang Bangs.
This collaboration secured top-tier press placements such as features in Comicbook.com, Nerd Reactor, The Drum and Access Daily with Mario and Kit, and thousands of social shares across platforms. Jack in the Box also earned a spot alongside other major movie partners, seen in Collider, Deadline, Fast Company, Marketing Dive, and more. Overall press garnered more than 982 million impressions in food, lifestyle and nerd outlets, and more than 200,000 social impressions from the premiere media event alone. These metrics and press inclusions proved Jack in the Box not only stood out in standalone press outside of the movie’s giant brand partners, but also was worth its weight in chimichangas to be included alongside them.
Fans' love for these two heroes, Deadpool and Jack, proved not all heroes wear capes, but all tiny food has the potential to be super.
