Red Robin gets a taste of French Butter

‘Burger Master Creations’
and restaurant employees
star in a new campaign
created by Integer,
shot and produced
by Brett Froomer
and Ivo Knezevic

In a new broadcast TV spot for Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and the Colorado agency Integer Group, Director / DP Brett Froomer of French Butter answers the burning question, “Who puts fried avocado on a grilled chicken breast?”

Turns out it’s Zita M., a chef at Red Robin and one of the contributors to its Burger Masters Series of gourmet hamburgers. A 20-year team member of the restaurant chain, Zita stars in a fifteen-second spot in which she proudly holds aloft her creation, Zita’s Chicky ‘Cado.

FRENCH BUTTER
RED ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS: CHICKY ‘CADO

 

Zita’s Chicky ‘Cado is the second ad in a series of Red Robin ads produced by French Butter for The Integer Group.

The inaugural spot, El Ranchero, combines grilling action with luscious food photography before arriving at a happy presentation by Noel G, who created the El Ranchero burger. A neon sign in the background spells out the word “yum.”

FRENCH BUTTER
RED ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS: EL RANCHERO

 

 
Employee recipe challenge
As part of the Burger Masters Series, the company challenged its employees to come up with innovative, mouth-watering burger recipes on their own, explains Froomer.

The in-house program gave the beloved chain — with its memorable “Red Robin, mmm!” audio mnemonic — exciting new menu items to promote as the summer season kicks into high gear.

Shot on location in Red Robin restaurants, the campaign features actual employees.

Brett Froomer and Ivo Knezevic
Brett Froomer and Ivo Knezevic

“This was a perfect assignment for us here at French Butter,” says the director. “It’s got people, locations, great food, lifestyle and performance — all the things we’re especially good at combining into one package.”

Relying on Froomer’s background as both a lifestyle photographer and live action director, the spots convey a sense of authenticity through their use of real Red Robin employees.

“There’s a real sense of honesty to their appearance in these ads,” Froomer adds. “You can see it on their faces. That’s the kind of integrity we were looking for, and both Noel and Zita carried it off perfectly.”

“Kid you not – working with Brett and his team was seamless,” says Integer Group Creative Director Ross Snodgrass. “We’d see things on the monitor and he would come back after the shot and say, ‘Okay, I’m gonna try this.’ And then he’d go do EXACTLY what we were about to ask him to try. The dude knows food.”

 
Busy year for French Butter
The Red Robin campaign comes on the heels of recent French Butter projects for several iconic food brands including Taco Bell, Thomas’ English Muffins and the West Coast-based In-N-Out Burger.

“We’ve had a busy spring, and that’s leading into a busy summer too,” says French Butter EP Ivo Knezevic. “Our ability to handle both the live action and tabletop elements of food and beverage spots is registering with agencies and clients.”

“It’s the core of what French Butter has to offer,” he continues. “Brett’s great food imagery his natural feel for directing talent and creating appealing lifestyle settings, coupled with our flexible approach to production. It’s our recipe for happy clients.”

 
CREDITS
Client: Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.

Agency: Integer Group
   Creative Directors: Ross Snodgrass, Dustin Bredice
   Sr. Art Director: Evan McHugh
   Account: Wendy Winter, Tadar Puakpaibool
   Producer: Robert Stocking

Production Company: French Butter
   Director/DP: Brett Froomer
   Executive Producer: Ivo Knezevic

French Butter is represented by Mr. Bartlett in the East, Mary Kate Hatfield the Midwest, and Red Rep in the West. For more information on the company, contact Ivo Knezevic at 847-910-9062, or at Ivo@frenchbutter.com.

 
Send your new work to Reel Chicago Editor Dan Patton, dan@reelchicago.com.