By Vanessa Sink | Contributor
Grills firing up; silverware against a plate; and the familiar clink as glasses connect over the laughter of friends together again, these are the rhythms and rituals of dining out that the National Restaurant Association is highlighting in its new multimedia Restaurant Revival campaign. The national ad taps into the sights and sounds associated with dining out and asks diners, “Doesn’t dining out sound good?”
“This campaign is about reigniting the memories we cherish about dining out. While diners have been able to enjoy some restaurant meals through take-out and delivery, we all have missed hearing the words, ‘Your table is ready,’ and the unique experiences that dining out provides,” said Tom Bené, President & CEO of the National Restaurant Association. “We know safety is top of mind for returning diners—it’s top of mind for us as well—so, the ad pairs the familiar sights and sounds with new visual safety cues, including servers wearing masks and the ServSafe Dining Commitment door decal.”
Where restaurant dining rooms are open, owners and employees are doing everything they can to create safe and inviting experiences. As part of this campaign, the National Restaurant Association and ServSafe launched the ServSafe Dining Commitment, an initiative showcasing restaurants that have demonstrated their ongoing commitment to the health and safety of their employees and guests. Through participation in the program, a restaurant is assuring returning customers that the operation is following recommended reopening guidance and is ready for business. On the ServSafeDining.org website, consumers can see what restaurants are doing to keep them safe and use a locator tool to find participating restaurants.
This is the first national consumer ad campaign from the Association. It worked with The Richards Group to create the unique look and feel for the storytelling and partnered with Coca-Cola, DoorDash, Stella Artois, Ecolab, Beam Suntory, Cargill, Tyson, Hormel Foods, International Foodservice Distributors Association, and GP Pro to launch the campaign nationwide.
“Support for this campaign spans the entire industry. From well-known, trusted brands to the suppliers and distributors restaurants rely on, every part of the foodservice community is coming together to help restaurants recover,” said Tia Mattson, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Communications. “As the nation’s second-largest, private sector employer, a strong restaurant revival can help fuel our nation’s economic recovery.”
Mattson concluded, “All the things that made going to a restaurant special for diners—the service, the variety, the community—it’s all still there waiting for you. Across the industry, from the small independent restaurants to the most recognizable national brands, our tables are ready to welcome diners back.”
Click here to watch the full ‘Sounds We Crave’ ad.
About the National Restaurant Association:
Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 1 million restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of 15.6 million employees. For more information, visit Restaurant.org