Any Time’s a Good Time for IHOP.

IHOP Corp. will be ringing in the new year with its “Any Time” advertising campaign created by Heil-Brice Retail Advertising (HBRA) of Newport Beach, Calif. By blending fun or notable life experiences with visits to IHOP, the campaign captures the good times, great food and warm family memories people experience when they visit an IHOP restaurant. The campaign will break in over 90 markets across the country during the month of January.

The campaign was created to achieve specific marketing and messaging objectives. “There are four crucial elements to our strategy,” explains Susan Hernandez, vice president of marketing, IHOP Corp. “We want to build on our brand and it’s great heritage, we need our advertising to showcase our food, we want to have a nostalgic feel and most importantly, we want the advertising to drive traffic to the restaurants.”

The commercials feature vignettes of what seem to be everyday experiences, however, the message is clear that these experiences will be remembered for a lifetime. One such vignette depicts a young boy on a sunny neighborhood sidewalk teaching his grandfather how to ride his scooter, the hot new toy of the generation. The grandfather takes on the role of student as he tries to keep his balance. The two end up at an IHOP where they enjoy the food and reflect on the adventure they experienced together. For both it is a memory that will be cherished for years to come. The scene creates a nostalgic feel with young and old coming together to share those moments of today that will make memories for tomorrow. The spots feature original music composed by John Parenti and designed to create a sense of history and a feeling of familiarity that helps to evoke emotions.

“We look at campaigns like this as evolutionary,” says Joni Brice, chief executive officer of Heil-Brice Retail Advertising. “They start, they evolve and we continue to keep them on the right path as you move forward. I am certain we have set the right course with the ‘Any Time’ campaign.”

To date the campaign consists of a series of commercials each designed to promote a specific objective. IHOP has developed spots to support breakfast, lunch and dinner in addition to a brand image spot. The campaign will also feature in-restaurant collateral, and radio. Hispanic versions of the “Any Time” campaign are currently in production.

Skip to content