Patrons of barbecue restaurants in Dallas are taking their leftovers home in red-hot branded carryout bags. The new program was developed to reach consumers while they’re out on the town and to carry over into the hours and days beyond.

To find out how to get your client’s message into the hands and homes of targeted audiences, read on.

This is one in a Media Life series on buying the new out-of-home venues. They appear weekly.

Fast Facts

What
Branded doggie bags used by restaurants to send leftovers home with customers.

Who
GoGorilla Media, headquartered in New York.

How it works
Takeout bags are branded with an advertiser’s message and contact information.

“This is an adaptation of an existing format,” says vice president Joe Bonadio. “Doggie bags are larger and more targeted to where people eat than say a coffee or a deli bag. And another key difference is these bags go home far more often than other bags that go back to the office. In a way it’s the same product and in a way it’s entirely different.”

The key is matching product and creative to the venue.  

For the program launch, DirecTV distributed the branded bags at barbecue restaurants in Dallas.

“What’s more Dallas than a barbecue? It’s part and parcel of Dallas life,” Bonadio says. “We came up with the idea for the venue first and then with the doggie bag idea. At barbecues eyes are generally bigger than stomachs. You don’t go to a barbecue and not come home with something. A chicken wing or French fries.”

Creative for the Dallas campaign included a large cowboy hat with details on DirecTV’s programs compared to a small beanie with data on their competitor. The flip side of the bag listed specials like a free trial offer, contact information and specifics on packages and prices.

The bags are 16 inches long and can be printed on both sides. DirecTV used a black and white motif. “It can be printed however you want it,” Bonadio says. “Since it’s an item that’s clearly being taken home it’s an excellent vehicle for follow-up information like a web site address.”

The DirecTV campaign started in late May and the initial run lasted a month. The programs can last up to a year, Bonadio says. Creative can be changed or multiple creative can be used.

Venues include diners, burger joints, family restaurants, lunch restaurants and barbecue restaurants, Bonadio says. “We’re not talking upscale places.”

Barbecue restaurants were targeted for DirecTV because they’re popular in Dallas.

Markets
The DirecTV campaign that launched the program took place in Dallas, but branded takeout bags are available in any market, Bonadio says.

Numbers
The initial run was 50,000 bags, though programs are contingent on length of campaign and number of venues.

How it is measured
Measurement is determined by number of bags distributed, though Bonadio estimates that each bag generates four to six impressions.

“I’d say definitely that you’re talking about a couple people seeing them before they even get out of the restaurant and more than likely more see them when you take them home.”

What product categories do well
Food, packaged goods, beverages, broadcast and theater are top categories, Bonadio says.

Demographics
The DirecTV campaign was aimed at a wide demographic. “Broadly speaking, our audience was adults 25-54,” says Kyle Acquistapace, media director for the Los Angeles office of Deutsch, which handled the campaign for DirecTV.

“We were trying to reach locals,” Bonadio says. “And cable service, who’s not going to buy that?”

Targeting can be done by zip code.

Making the buy
Lead time is six to eight weeks. Cost is contingent on number of bags, creative, number of venues and length of campaign.

Who’s already on doggie bags
DirecTV

What they’re saying
“Barbecue bags was the right way to reach people in a highly engaging way. In Dallas we used a big cowboy hat compared to a beanie for creative about our (DirecTV’s) level of service. Customers thought it was very clever. It was truly proper integration and they liked it. Barbecue people are serious about their leftovers. The results were pleasing, to say the least.” – Kyle Acquistapace, director of media planning at Deutsch, Los Angeles for DirecTV

Web site info
GoGorilla at www.gogorillamedia.com