The internet is abuzz over Chick-Fil-A’s epic fail in seizing a golden influencer opportunity.

The quick service restaurant recently directed employee and TikTok content creator Mirithesiren to stop making her positive social media videos reviewing menu items. Even though several of Miri’s clips had gone viral, and she had driven thousands of followers to sample the cuisine, the company told her it was against policy for employees to make content about the brand. Chick-Fil-A also turned down the opportunity to collaborate with Miri on future projects.

So, Miri complied, and many of her followers registered their disappointment.

That’s when competitor Shake Shack swooped in and partnered with Miri to craft content about its chicken sandwich offerings. In a diabolical twist, the Shake Shack chicken sandwich video dropped on a Sunday, when Chick-Fil-A wasn’t open.

Now, Miri’s Shake Shack video has gone viral, and her followers (who now surpass 100,000) are jumping at the chance to try her latest recommendation. 

This has turned into a huge miss for Chick-Fil-A—but it didn’t have to be.

The brand was so rigid with its employee social media policy that it actually created an opportunity for a competitor to connect with an audience that had been cultivated on its behalf. Chick-Fil-A doesn’t even post content on TikTok, so leveraging Miri would have been a great low-risk way for the brand to introduce itself on the platform.

Brands everywhere must remember that flexibility is important when it comes to marketing, and they must be willing to pivot when a positive creative opportunity comes their way.

For all the brand’s talk about wanting their audience to “Eat Mor Chikin,” they shut the door way too soon on an influencer who was inspiring viewers to do just that.

That kind of crossed Rankin-Bass with Dr. Who. We kept thinking the shop would turn out to be a TARDIS. Maybe next time. 

Anyway, the live experience offers opportunities for stories, creative play and snacks, as well as the chance to create custom “Time Cards” for loved ones. Reservations are recommended. 

Folks can also visit a website to create and send such cards to recipients in the U.S. free of charge. Prompts for sharing time include “4 hours of teaching you to ride a bike,” “2 hours of making Grandma’s doughnuts” and “3 hours of our favorite board game.” 

The campaign stems from a Chick-fil-A survey that found 73 percent of respondents wished to spend more time with people they care about, while 93 percent said quality time is more important for the holidays than food, decorations, music, parties or gifts. 

“Years from now, we might not remember what gifts we received, but we will remember how it felt to be with the people we love,” says Chick-fil-A senior marketing director Ashley Callahan. ” ‘Together Time’ [the campaign’s overarching theme] is all about setting aside time for making memories.”

So, why would a fast-food company focus on time? The brand says it’s not such a stretch, since it already emphasizes speedy service and closes its stores on Sundays. The chain believes observing the Christian sabbath gives team members more time to spend with their families. (The Time Shop rests on the seventh day, too.)

Long a darling of the religious and political right, the company has drawn fire from conservatives after announcing a new charitable giving plan that would exclude the Salvation Army and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

The holiday campaign probably won’t do much to burnish the brand’s image in the wake of such controversy. Of course, it wasn’t intended to; but at the very least, it provides a timely reminder that pausing to share the best of ourselves—and perhaps engage in some reflection and thoughtful conversation—can do everyone a world of good.

CREDITS

CHICK-FIL-A

Jon Bridges, Chief Marketing Officer
Joe Saracino, SVP, Brand Strategy, Advertising & Media
Ashley Callahan, Sr. Director, Integrated Creative
David Rowe, Principal Team Leader, Integrated Creative
Liz Griffith, Sr. Principal Team Leader, Integrated Creative
Dustin Britt, Director, Marketing Investment
Katie Joiner, Principal Team Leader, Integrated Creative
Kate Neyhart, Sr. Platform Lead, Innovation
Emily Randall, Team Leader, Integrated Creative
Chelsea Lee, Principal Team Leader, Public Relations
Nikki Long, Principal Creative Lead, Brand Strategy
Ross Grimes, Principal Team Leader, Marketing Investment
Beth Grant, Principal Team Leader, Integrated Creative
John Shackelford, Principal Team Leader, Brand Strategy
Rachel Geist, Counsel, Corporate Legal
Laura Reichert, Sr. Leader Administrator, Integrated Creative
Haley Shue, Sr. Project Coordinator, Integrated Creative
Allison Fortune, Project Lead, Restaurant Communications
Alexis Carter, Sr. Project Coordinator, Integrated Creative
Lynah Stone, Sr. Project Coordinator, Integrated Creative
Chelsea Owen, Sr. Project Specialist, In-House Creative Agency
Arlenis Almonte, Sr. Project Lead, Integrated Creative
Rich Cutter, Sr. Principal Team Leader, In-house Creative Agency
Alok Nath – Principal Team Leader, In-house Creative Agency
Natalie Watson, Principal Program Lead, Customer & Market Insights
Emily Thomson, Product Lead, Marketing Technology
Kelsey Moore, Sr. Team Leader, Customer Technology Solutions
Jason Cannon – Sr. Specialist, Menu & Packaging
Natalie Williams – Counsel, Corporate Legal
Kaitlyn White – Principal Team Leader, Customer Digital Experience
Jeri Sute, Sr. Director, Corporate Legal
Ashley Rondorf, Sr. Specialist, Food Safety & Restaurant Solutions
Bill Hightower, Director, Corporate Legal
Tyrone Dillard, Sr. Director, Real Estate
Brian Lindley, Executive Director, New Restaurant Growth
Brittany Seifert, Project Lead, CFA One Membership Int’l
Hannah Wagner, Project Lead, Operator Communications
Hannah Cataldo, Project Lead, Operator Communications

McCANN

Eric Silver, Chief Creative Officer, McCann North America
Devika Bulchandani, President
Sean Bryan, Co-Chief Creative Officer 
Tom Murphy, Co-Chief Creative Officer
Veronica Bertran, Managing Director
Larry Platt, EVP Executive Creative Director
Danny Rodriguez, EVP Executive Creative Director
Geoff Bentz, Creative Director
Nic Howell, Creative Director 
Dina Hovanessian, SVP Group Account Director
Michael Morettoni, Account Supervisor
Kathy Love, SVP Executive Integrated Producer
David Mashburn, Executive Design Director
Scott Kaplan – Copywriter
Chuck Tso – Art Director
Julia Yu, Junior Designer
Josh Race, Junior Copywriter
Luzdivina Ruiz, Junior Art Director
Lisa Huang, Account Director
Alex Thompson, Account Executive
Eric Johnson, SVP Executive Music Producer, Integrated Production
Dan Gross, Integrated Music Producer  
Julianna Katrancha, SVP Group Strategy Director
Justin Luk, Strategy Director
Rachel Aronson, Social Strategist
Whitney Bryan, Communications Planning Director

MOMENTUM

Donnalyn Smith, President, North America
David Chamberlin, SVP, Executive Experience Director, North America
James Gavigan, VP, Director of Production
Cameron Templeton, Creative Director
Karyn Froseth, SVP Director of Client Service
Brandi Sutley, Account Director
Drew Maddox, Manager, Business Leadership
Madison Schumacher, Senior 3D Experience Designer
Muoi Le, Associate 3D Design Director
Marina Negrao, Senior Producer
Miranda Saucedo, Producer
Charles Hunter, Producer
Kimberly Martin, Live Events Coordinator
Donna Meredith, Senior Integrated Producer
Maddie Demas, Associate Integrated Producer
Darlene Lato, Compliance Manager

PSYOP

Marie Hyon, Director
Justin Booth-Clibborn, Executive Producer
Suzie Cimato, Senior Producer
Simone Miller, Associate Producer 

Victorior Wanchana Intrasombat, Designer
Pedro Lavin, Designer
Samantha Ballardini, Designer
Felipe Hansen, Designer
Robin Joseph, Designer
Andrew Serkin, Designer
Dionisius Bangun, Designer
Marie Hyon, Designer

Ben Chan, Storyboard Artist

Briana Franceschini, Lead Technical Director

Pat Porter, Previz Artist
Nick Dubois, Previz Artist
Doug Litos, Previz Artist

Eric Cunha, Modeler
David Soto, Modeler
Anne Yang, Modeler
Ieva Callender, Modeler
Briana Franceschini, Modeler
Brian Kim, Modeler
Chris Santoianni, Modeler
Pedro Conti, Modeler
Kevin Ferrara, Modeler
Ryan Kirkwood, Modeler
Casey Reuter, Modeler
Krista Albert, Modeler

Aldrich Torres, Additional Modeling
Nitesh Nagda, Additional Modeling, Leonstudio, Basilic Fly

Ieva Callender, Look Dev/Lighter
Briana Franceschini, Look Dev/Lighter
Matthias Bauerle, Look Dev/Lighter
Eric Cunha, Look Dev/Lighter
Brian Kim, Look Dev/Lighter
Thao Dan Nguyen Phan, Look Dev/Lighter
Anne Yang, Look Dev/Lighter
Kwan Au, Look Dev/Lighter
Susie Hong, Look Dev/Lighter

Pat Porter, Lead Animator

Nick Dubois, 3D Animator
Doug Litos, 3D Animator

Zed Bennett, Lead Rigger

Ohad Bracha, Rigger
Daishi Takishima, Rigger

Eric Cunha, Groom FX
Ieva Callender, Groom FX
Briana Franceschini, Groom FX
Chris Santoianni, Groom FX

Eban Byrne, VFX

Jordan Harvey, Cloth/Hair Sim
Scott Hubbard, Cloth/Hair Sim
Daishi Takishima, Cloth/Hair Sim

Matthias Bauerle, 2D Lead

Aaron Baker, Compositor
Matthias Bauerle, Compositor
Herculano Fernandes, Compositor
Manu Gaulot, Compositor
Lane Jolly, Compositor
Tingting Li, Compositor
Carl Mok, Compositor

Felipe Hansen, Matte Painter
Pedro Lavin, Matte Painter
Marie Hyon, Matte Painter

Loren Christiansen, Editor