The Kelces and Hoagiefest: A Brilliant Marketing Marriage
Wawa used one ‘mysterious’ post for Hoagiefest 2024 on Sunday June 16th, without a commitment to its actual launch date or who the pixelated image represented. The strategy most certainly lit up their social media platforms! Asking their followers “who’s ready for kickoff?” tipped everyone off to a very special announcement.
If you love Wawa’s Hoagiefest Philadelphia, let me get a hell yeah!
Since the summer of 2008, Wawa has been delighting its tens of millions of loyal customers across America, and especially here in Philly, with their popular promotion called “Hoagiefest.” It has since grown to become an annual celebration of all-things hoagies and driven outstanding brand awareness and, no doubt, incredible sales.
This year they raised the bar considerably with the addition of Philly’s first couple: Jason and Kylie Kelce. Eagle-eyed Wawa fans sniffed out the partnership when Wawa posted a pixelated image on social media of the couple sitting in lawn chairs. Hoagiefest traditionally offers special pricing - $5 for Shorti ® and $6 for Classic hoagies® - for a limited time over the summer.
What’s different this year? Wawa surprised everyone yesterday morning, Monday, June 17th, with the announcement that Hoagiefest was starting that day and would run an additional 4 weeks thru Sunday, August 11th. They usually prime their followers with a big countdown to the campaign so this added excitement and massive engagement on Wawa’s social media channels. They also revealed the details of the strategic partnership with the Kelces—offering two special hoagies called the “Kelce Classics” which are how Jason and Kylie custom order theirs. That’s some jawn right there.
The "Kylie" features honey turkey with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, banana peppers on a wheat roll while the “Jason” is an Italian hoagie with mayo, provolone, tomato, banana peppers on a white roll. Seems like the Kelces are big banana pepper fans, like us, who knew?
In addition to ordering The Kelces’ favorite sandwich recipes, customers can visit Wawa’s social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok from Thursday, June 20th thru Sunday, June 23rd for a chance to win Hoagiefest® swag perfect for summer including a towel, bucket hat, koozie and t-shirt. “Hoagiefest® is an annual summer tradition that celebrates the role hoagies have in helping make memories for families whether it’s at graduation parties, beach, concerts and more,” said Jim Morey, Chief Marketing Officer, Wawa. “With the help of Jason and Kylie Kelce, Hoagiefest® just got a little more fun thanks to “Kelce Classics,” and hopefully customers get a kick out of ordering hoagies just the way they do!”
What I truly love about this marketing campaign
1. The pixelated image tease
It wasn’t that hard to put two and two together that Jason and Kylie were the duo in the photo. They (Wawa) weren’t really trying to hide the identities—but get the social chatter going. It was a brilliant strategy because it fueled comments and interactions and, as we know, that ignites social algorithms. It also created curiosity to what the campaign would be all about vs. spelling out the details ahead of time in a traditional marketing strategy.
2. The custom hoagies with the Kelce twist
Yeah, it would have been ‘good enough’ for Wawa to have them branded to this summer’s Hoagiefest while the Kelces marketing window is at its’ hottest, no pun intended. But with branded menu items they seemingly handcrafted to their personal liking (note the whole wheat hoagie choice from Kylie that leans towards a female palate) it takes the campaign to another level because it gives customers a feeling that they are connected to the power couple. If Kylie orders this, I want to try it too. We’ve seen celebrity-branded menu items many, many times over the years with the likes of McDonald’s and Wendy’s. It’s the ole ‘I wanna be like Mike’ strategy, and the suggestion, seduction and psychology behind it works everytime.
3. It looks like it was shot in their backyard in Havertown
Even though the Kelces are pretty darn famous and hang with one of the world’s biggest celebrities, they really ingratiate themselves to the American public with their approachability and no nonsense, low ego personalities. So it makes sense that the Hoagiefest campaign appears to have been shot in their own backyard—or that’s the deliberate impression. You don’t need any bells and whistles around a grounded, fun-loving couple who isn’t about pretenses to begin with.
4. The element of surprise
With no social media anticipation or countdown to Hoagiefest 2024, the Monday morning rollout was a modern day marketing mic drop—and well played. Catching consumers off guard is almost always a great strategy and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more, day-of promotions coming from Wawa’s top level marketing team in the near future. If there isn’t a big build up to every promotion and instant stuff is rolled like the Kelce’s deal, then hard core Wawa enthusiasts will be checking social feeds more frequently so that they can be the first to know and tell their friends. Ego-social at its best.
5. It’s SO Philly
It’s hard to think of a bigger brand than Wawa in Philly—other than maybe Tastykake and Campbell Soup. So the Kelce/Wawa marriage is made in heaven. Having said that, the Kelces are no doubt getting hundreds upon hundreds of national and international marketing inquiries that their team needs to drudge through and decide what strategically makes sense. And this just does. The couple is regularly lauded as Philly hometown heroes, even referred to as royalty on many social media threads, so it was due time we saw them hand-in-hand with a local force.
6. It brings them together as one powerful, power couple
We know Kylie (Papa Johns, Dove, HP, Lindor Chocolates) and Jason (that epic Super Bowl parade speech) shine very brightly and confidently on their own with corporate promotions and memorable moments. The great thing about the Hoagiefest/Kelce marriage is just that—it presents them as the fun-loving, down-to-earth relatable young couple that America has fallen in love with. Kylie has a deal with Pottery Barn Kids in which the couple is shown in their Havertown, PA home with their three young daughters—but that campaign is under her own social umbrella (instagram: @kykelce).
All in all, I think Wawa really scored one for the home team with this year’s Hoagiefest. It’s going be hard to top this moving forward. But for now we can all enjoy a summer of extended hoagie deals, that famous jingle and a little extra serving of all things Jason and Kylie.
Let’s face it Philly—hungry dogs run faster!
“It’s frickin’ Hoagiefest® and we couldn’t be more excited to partner with Wawa on their beloved summer tradition of spreading happiness in Philly and beyond!” said Jason and Kylie Kelce. “It’s our favorite time of year and we’re hoping “The Jason,” and “The Kylie,” Kelce Classics make your summer that much brighter!”
In addition to ordering The Kelces’ favorite recipes, customers can visit Wawa’s social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok from June 20th thru June 23rd for a chance to win Hoagiefest® swag perfect for summer including a towel, bucket hat, koozie and t-shirt.
It’s summertime and that means Wawa Hoagiefest® is back with special pricing - $5 for Shorti ® and $6 for Classic hoagies®. This promotion runs from Monday, June 17th through Sunday, August 11th in all Wawa stores and on the Wawa App and provides great savings for an additional four weeks this summer!