Protein is currently dominating the fitness conversation, and at the start of a new year, motivation to hit the gym famouly spikes. As a quick-service restaurant (QSR), El Pollo Loco posed the question, how do we connect with health-conscious consumers in a meaningful, culturally relevant way? The goals were to create a tangible brand experience that drives traffic and trial to the brand, build a bridge between physical gym environment and digital engagement, and influnce people to think of "fast food" chicken as part of their fitness routines.
Breaking through to people in the QSR space is exceedingly difficult. Media tools allow you to infiltrate people's social feeds with food but what if we could infiltrate their life, not just with a discount offer, but in a way that provides value to their life as well as value to their wallet?
El Pollo Loco partnered with gyms to provide the first gym towel coupon with a scannable QR code, redeemable for a two-piece meal, and making Leg & Thigh Day something to look forward to.
We spent the earliest hours of 2026 filming real reactions at local gyms, as influencers handed out 500 gym towels to hungry gymgoers. A tik tok video hyped the in-person promo, and let more people in on the fun with a redeemable code (or "digital towel"). All 500 meals were claimed in less than a day—a 100% redemption rate.
We incorporated fitness influencer culture, "New Year, New Me" optimism, chicken's high protein content, and a pioneering stake in Towel QR Technology to spike new members on our Rewards app by 150%. The first 500 coupons were fully redeemed in less than 24 hours. The social promotion video received 45.5K organic views.
