Longhorn Steakhouse gussies up

When we won the Longhorn account, they were still a rowdy chain of smoky restaurants where the hostesses would staple your necktie to the rafters. When Darden (the Olive Garden folks) bought them, they started turning toward the bite-n-smile formula you’d expect. We held on to the brand’s character as long as we could.

Darden insisted we say the name of their new “steak offering” at least three times. We thought that was goofy. So we made a spot that made the goofiness charming. The steak sold really well, and everyone went home happy.

The best restaurant commercials make you feel like you’re “at the restaurant”. Sometimes that means your scripts are inspired by eavesdropping on private conversations happening in the next booth.

One of the perks of working on this account was spending afternoons and evenings concepting at the restaurant. This is an actual transcript of a conversation the art director and writer had after a few pitchers.

This slice-of-life spot made Longhorn feel pleasant and welcoming rather than rowdy. You can feel the turn toward more conventional restaurant advertising happening on this one.

Lunchtime spot. Despite our best efforts. the clients insisted on more product-oriented spots as the campaign progressed. This was our attempt to placate the “bite and smile” contingent.

This is my favorite of the reality spots we made. I also think it’s the most realistic of the bunch. I especially like the voiceover, it’s the voice of the art director who made the spot. I was pushing for him to be their official brand voice but they ended up going with a less “regional” actor.