The Patio Re-Training Program // Boston Pizza

After the world’s longest restaurant lockdown, Boston Pizza was finally able to open its patios and welcome guests back. The problem was that after 18 months of going from our beds to where we sat all day, we’d forgotten how to be in public and dine near strangers who might give us a head nod. Eek.

So we rolled up our sleeves, kissed our families goodbye, and got to work. We developed a comprehensive Patio Re-Training Program that covered everything from defending beer from pesky patio wasps to fixing wobbly tables and everything in between.

Press —
AdAge Editor’s Pick, BestAdsonTV.com Top 6 & Runner-Up, Breakfast Television, Muse by Clio, Adweek, Trend Hunter, Shoot Online, Little Black Book, Ads of the World, Shots, The Stable, Strategy Magazine, The Message, Portfolio Lovers, AdStashers, Canadian Pizza Magazine*

*yeah…they’re a real publication, unsurprisingly.

Recognition —
Effies - Restaurants, Bronze

Communication Arts - Advertising, Sales Promotion

Applied Arts - Copywriting, Campaign

Included in Pearson’s latest edition of the textbook “Consumer Behaviour: Buying, Having and Being”

The Patio Re-Training Manual

The 72-page manual was launched both online and as a first-edition hardcover. It tackled everything from practicing how to talk to real-life human servers, dealing with fry-stealing seagulls, and coming to terms with beer in draught form. To read all 72 pages and stroke my ego, smash this link.

Patio Re-Training Videos

Re-Training Videos were broadcast into people’s homes to help them re-learn everything they unlearned
about the patio over the last 18 months from the comfort of their sweatpants.

Patio Re-Training Posters

As a last resort in case people didn’t see our films, social content, or read the manual, we plastered the windows of BP locations
and bus stops near our restaurants with lessons to re-train them on the spot as they walked onto the patio or waited for the bus.

Patio Re-Training Help Center

Naturally, we created a 1-800 number for anyone who didn’t want to read and would rather listen to the sounds of our smooth-smooth-smooth-talking robot operator. Our client loved the creative so much, that they purchased incremental outdoor and paid social to support the Patio Re-Training Help Center. Bless them.