Subway may be the UK’s biggest quick-serve restaurant (by number of franchises), but it has been consistently outgunned by McDonald’s, who outspend them 10:1.
Subway’s ‘Make it what you want’ platform shone a light on the millions of personalised food combinations on offer and held within it an irreverent dig at the competition, guilty of rigid menus and limited choice. Outsmarting McDonald’s 10:1 became our main strategy to win the hunger game.
To undertake this mission, we developed a new ‘challenger’ brand archetype and positioning, brand identity, tone of voice and behaviour which inspired all marketing activity and gave the company a new fighting spirit.
Our irreverent position allowed Subway to reconnect with a younger growth audience, through online challenges, games, partnerships and influencer relations. Great taste, innovation and choice remained central to everything we developed, from food photography, menu cards, screens and shopwindows. We identified universal ‘food cravings’ to inspire more relevant audience segmentation, new media thinking and campaign activation. We made music from plants on World Earth Day, launched the brand’s new third-party-delivery service and threw vegans into a panic with our new ‘fake-meatball test’.
We couldn’t have done this without partnering with hundreds of franchise owners, getting to know their business and communities, helping us to drive change, brand momentum and sales from the inside-out.
“Right from pitch, the team demonstrated a depth of understanding of Subway, and clear care and interest in everything the business does, way beyond our communications. They acted as a true guardian of the brand, and ensured that all activity was in service of our business objectives. It proved to be a successful, and importantly, very enjoyable, partnership!”
Angie Gosal, Head of Marketing
Subway may be the UK’s biggest quick-serve restaurant (by number of franchises), but it has been consistently outgunned by McDonald’s, who outspend them 10:1.
Subway’s ‘Make it what you want’ platform shone a light on the millions of personalised food combinations on offer and held within it an irreverent dig at the competition, guilty of rigid menus and limited choice. Outsmarting McDonald’s 10:1 became our main strategy to win the hunger game.
To undertake this mission, we developed a new ‘challenger’ brand archetype and positioning, brand identity, tone of voice and behaviour which inspired all marketing activity and gave the company a new fighting spirit.
Our irreverent position allowed Subway to reconnect with a younger growth audience, through online challenges, games, partnerships and influencer relations. Great taste, innovation and choice remained central to everything we developed, from food photography, menu cards, screens and shopwindows. We identified universal ‘food cravings’ to inspire more relevant audience segmentation, new media thinking and campaign activation. We made music from plants on World Earth Day, launched the brand’s new third-party-delivery service and threw vegans into a panic with our new ‘fake-meatball test’.
We couldn’t have done this without partnering with hundreds of franchise owners, getting to know their business and communities, helping us to drive change, brand momentum and sales from the inside-out.
“Right from pitch, the team demonstrated a depth of understanding of Subway, and clear care and interest in everything the business does, way beyond our communications. They acted as a true guardian of the brand, and ensured that all activity was in service of our business objectives. It proved to be a successful, and importantly, very enjoyable, partnership!”
Angie Gosal, Head of Marketing
Subway may be the UK’s biggest quick-serve restaurant (by number of franchises), but it has been consistently outgunned by McDonald’s, who outspend them 10:1.
Subway’s ‘Make it what you want’ platform shone a light on the millions of personalised food combinations on offer and held within it an irreverent dig at the competition, guilty of rigid menus and limited choice. Outsmarting McDonald’s 10:1 became our main strategy to win the hunger game.
To undertake this mission, we developed a new ‘challenger’ brand archetype and positioning, brand identity, tone of voice and behaviour which inspired all marketing activity and gave the company a new fighting spirit.
Our irreverent position allowed Subway to reconnect with a younger growth audience, through online challenges, games, partnerships and influencer relations. Great taste, innovation and choice remained central to everything we developed, from food photography, menu cards, screens and shopwindows. We identified universal ‘food cravings’ to inspire more relevant audience segmentation, new media thinking and campaign activation. We made music from plants on World Earth Day, launched the brand’s new third-party-delivery service and threw vegans into a panic with our new ‘fake-meatball test’.
We couldn’t have done this without partnering with hundreds of franchise owners, getting to know their business and communities, helping us to drive change, brand momentum and sales from the inside-out.
“Right from pitch, the team demonstrated a depth of understanding of Subway, and clear care and interest in everything the business does, way beyond our communications. They acted as a true guardian of the brand, and ensured that all activity was in service of our business objectives. It proved to be a successful, and importantly, very enjoyable, partnership!”
Angie Gosal, Head of Marketing
Subway may be the UK’s biggest quick-serve restaurant (by number of franchises), but it has been consistently outgunned by McDonald’s, who outspend them 10:1.
Subway’s ‘Make it what you want’ platform shone a light on the millions of personalised food combinations on offer and held within it an irreverent dig at the competition, guilty of rigid menus and limited choice. Outsmarting McDonald’s 10:1 became our main strategy to win the hunger game.
To undertake this mission, we developed a new ‘challenger’ brand archetype and positioning, brand identity, tone of voice and behaviour which inspired all marketing activity and gave the company a new fighting spirit.
Our irreverent position allowed Subway to reconnect with a younger growth audience, through online challenges, games, partnerships and influencer relations. Great taste, innovation and choice remained central to everything we developed, from food photography, menu cards, screens and shopwindows. We identified universal ‘food cravings’ to inspire more relevant audience segmentation, new media thinking and campaign activation. We made music from plants on World Earth Day, launched the brand’s new third-party-delivery service and threw vegans into a panic with our new ‘fake-meatball test’.
We couldn’t have done this without partnering with hundreds of franchise owners, getting to know their business and communities, helping us to drive change, brand momentum and sales from the inside-out.
“Right from pitch, the team demonstrated a depth of understanding of Subway, and clear care and interest in everything the business does, way beyond our communications. They acted as a true guardian of the brand, and ensured that all activity was in service of our business objectives. It proved to be a successful, and importantly, very enjoyable, partnership!”
Angie Gosal, Head of Marketing
Drop in:
Beyond, 87 Weston Street, London, SE1 3RS
