Radio flier: take to airwaves, increase customer frequency; sound advice for operators: start spreading the news and pump up the volume

Nation's Restaurant News, May 19, 2003 by Gregg Cebrzynski

The Irvine, Calif.-based operator recently broke new radio ads, and they're designed to do more than previous spots, which played a supporting role for TV commercials.

"In the past the role of radio has really been to drive top-of-mind awareness for the brand and deliver a promotional message," she says. "With the new campaign radio is working a heck of a lot harder to tie in to the message on TV and really bring the appetite appeal alive."

In a 60-second spot titled "Fire versus Wheel," an announcer compares the merits of both, noting that the wheel was "a pretty great invention." The best thing about lire, he says, "is what it does to citrus-marinated chicken at El Polio Loco."

A sizzling fire is heard in the background as he goes on to describe the product and promote an eight-piece whole chicken for $7.99. He ends by saying, "you just can't cook chicken that good over a wheel."

Another spot, "Backwards," uses the sizzling-fire sound and the same product description as the announcer debunks as myth the notion of subliminal messages in advertising. "That's just the chicken talking and your taste buds listening," he says.

Eadon adds, "Looking back at the way radio was used in the past and the creative, the way we were using it was not very effective."

The important point to remember, she says, is that "when you're using media, you are surrounding consumers with your message and going for great impact."

El Pollo Loco uses radio in various markets and has found that sponsoring traffic reports is "very effective when you're thinking about lunch or dinner."

The new radio ads were created by Y&R Cos. of Irvine, Calif., and are its first work for the chain since winning the $7 million ad account earlier this year. Eadon says the goal is to make the ads cut through the clutter of other spots and hammer home a product quality message as the chain's point of differentiation.

"It's a challenge," she says, "but we've got some really great spots."

Gregg Cebrzynski