Selling a brand no one can resist

Selling a brand no one can resist

Slaying QSR giants
with strategy

Krystal is a regional quick serve restaurant (QSR) brand celebrating over 80 years in business. The brand is significantly outspent by the major national brands like McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, etc. in every market. Much of that spending focuses on aggressive pricing and the promotion of value meals and value menus. Krystal is challenged with competing in these market conditions while having the large majority of their sales generated by a single and somewhat polarizing product—The Krystal.

Johnson Group’s challenge was to help Krystal increase same store sales and transactions without decreasing average check. We developed a simple brand positioning for Krystal that described the brand and the campaign: No one can resist. As it turns out, even other famous fast-food icons can’t resist the Famous Krystal.

No one
can resist

Fresh, hot, small and square—what makes a Krystal unique also makes it irresistible. With those same attributes front and center, we continually demonstrated why no one can resist the craving—even our competitors’ most famous icons.

Nothin'
like it

In addition to brand communications, limited-time products and new product introducitons focused on The Krystal to help boost average check each quarter.

New product launch Game time
wings

Launched with unique "hands on" video content and bold gridiron packaging, it's little wonder customers couldn't wait to get ahold of new Game Time Wings.

World championship

Doubling down on the insight that you can’t eat just one Krystal, we created the Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship, an officially sanctioned competition that drew fans and earned media worldwide.

Design
a box
contest

We engaged Krystal’s legion of loyal fans to design their own version of the iconic Krystal hamburger box and produced the top designs, much to the winners’ delight.