Fast-food giant Chick-fil-A is making an ambitious change in their business model to win over more American families, and launching “Chick-fil-A Play” on November 18 — a significant expansion beyond its traditional restaurant business.
“Hospitality and fun have always been at the core of the Chick-fil-A family experience, whether inside our Restaurants and play areas, or through our Kids Meals,” said Dustin Britt, executive director of brand strategy. “The Chick-fil-A Play App is a digital extension of that experience and another way we’re reimagining play for our guests, in a unique way through entertainment that really encourages time together.”
The platform launches with a large content lineup, including original animated shows like “Evergreen Hills” and “Chick-fil-A Cows,” scripted podcasts such as “Hidden Island,” and interactive content.
“Evergreen Hills,” the company’s flagship series, follows a girl named Sam who discovers a magical passageway in her family’s grandfather clock, leading to adventures with “the Timekeeper,” a wise figure teaching lessons about kindness.
The company is investing heavily in production quality, paying around $400,000 per half-hour of content. Industry veteran Brian Gibson, known for his work on “Top Gear” and “The X Factor,” is overseeing production.
The company has also partnered with Glassman Media and Sugar23, producers behind NBC’s “The Wall” and Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why,” for a ten-part family game show.
According to Khalilah Cooper, vice president of brand strategy, advertising, and media, this move reflects changing consumer behavior.
“Customers spend less and less time inside their restaurants’ four walls,” Cooper noted, adding that the company sees an opportunity to “create something uniquely Chick-fil-A” in response.
The app will feature an extensive library of content, including 20 e-book titles, family trivia games, singing activities, craft projects, and “Recipe Remixes” cooking videos.
The platform also includes a digital racing game called “Go Go Cow,” which expands on a previously released web game.
This entertainment venture builds on Chick-fil-A’s impressive business growth, with sales reaching $21.6 billion in 2023, up from $19 billion in 2022.
The company joins a growing trend of major brands moving into content creation, following companies like Mattel, Nike, and Starbucks.
The move represents a significant departure from Chick-fil-A’s previous approach to entertainment.
While competitors partnered with Hollywood for movie tie-ins during the 1990s, Chick-fil-A focused on educational content and moral storytelling, a strategy that appears to be evolving with this new platform.
Industry observers note that Chick-fil-A’s entertainment expansion could position the company to compete with established family entertainment providers like Hallmark, and potentially even larger players in the streaming space.