Panera was launching their new, first-of-its-kind Croissant Toast Sandwich. To stand out in a highly competitive, trend-driven culture, they also introduced the Croissant Clutch handbag as part of the sandwich launch—a stylish, insulated handbag perfectly sized to keep the crave-worthy sandwich warm on the go.
Panera needed an equally bold media and partnership strategy that would transform this launch into a true pop culture moment that would drive both product trial and brand awareness among trend-driven consumers. With research showing that 30% of Panera’s audience have strong passions for Arts and Entertainment, we identified the ideal activation stage that perfectly coincided with the launch: The Met Gala.
To cut through the noise and capture the attention of the style-savvy audiences during the Met Gala, Panera partnered with Variety to insert their brand into the heart of Fashion’s Biggest Night. For this partnership, success KPIs included driving widespread awareness, social engagement, and product buzz around both the sandwich and the Croissant Clutch accessory. Leveraging influencer collaborations and custom content across social media, Panera set out not just to join the style conversation, but to become a talking point among trendsetters.
To break through the noise during the Met Gala, Panera needed more than a standard media plan to earn their place amongst the high-fashion heavyweights. We tackled this by crafting a surgical, cross-platform plan that blended authenticity, humor, and of course, style. By treating a sandwich launch like a high-fashion drop, we created scarcity, massive desire, and a product that vanished from shelves.
First, the communications strategy focused on platforms where the heart and soul of red-carpet chatter lived: Instagram and TikTok. We hand-picked influencers Delaney Rowe, Nicky Campbell, and Robyn DelMonte—who were already trending in both comedy and fashion culture—to create content, ensuring our messaging would feel organic and not forced.
Variety's red-carpet coverage featuring extensive celebrity interviews, including Pharrel Williams, Mindy Kaling, Zendaya and more.
But the chatter didn’t stop once the red carpet was rolled up. To capture fashion fans vying for red carpet hot takes post-Met Gala, Panera paid sponsorship included a homepage takeover on Variety.com on one of its busiest days of the year, complete with branded banners and custom video content across the platform’s digital ecosystem. This holistic approach combined paid media, earned influencer amplification, and strategic tentpole alignment for maximum cultural relevance and impact within target audience segments.
The Croissant Clutch became an instant must-have driven by influencer buzz and earned media that made Panera the talk of fashion’s biggest night. The strategic partnerships with Variety and influencers put Panera in the heart of pop culture and outperformed all business and brand objectives:
And most importantly, the Croissant Sandwich quickly became one of Panera’s top selling sandwiches, showcasing how the perfect blend of media, influencer, and cultural partnerships can turn a product launch into a multi-platform success, driving both business results and lasting brand relevance.
