Chick-fil-A launches its biggest ever marketing campaign as restaurant industry traffic shrinks

"Limited-time retro packaging will highlight Chick-fil-A's heritage, the company said. For Chick-fil-A's 80th anniversary, the chicken chain is going all out: retro packaging, collectible cups, themed merch 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 leaned into deals, buzzy promotions and larger marketing budgets."

"As a privately held company, Chick-fil-A does not disclose quarterly financial results, but franchise disclosure documents show that 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 other restaurants have leaned into to compete, but the anniversary gives the chain the opportunity to attract more customers to its restaurants."

"Khalilah Cooper, Chick-fil-A's vice president of brand strategy, advertising and media, told CNBC that new advertising will spotlight the anniversary in both national TV spots and on social media. At the center of the campaign is what the company is calling "newstalgia," a portmanteau of "new" and "nostalgia." "We've thought about this as a way to celebrate our heritage with customers who've been with us, potentially for decades, for all 80 years,""

Chick-fil-A is launching a yearlong 80th-anniversary marketing campaign featuring limited-time retro packaging, collectible cups, themed merchandise and promotional sweepstakes including a chance to win free food for a year. The campaign is the company's largest promotional push and will run across national TV and social media with advertising built around 'newstalgia' that blends new elements with nostalgia. Company documents show system sales growth slowed to 5.4% in 2024, the first year in over a decade below double-digit growth. The anniversary promotion aims to attract both longstanding customers and newcomers amid broader restaurant traffic declines and more budget-conscious diners.

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