Wendy’s Tells a New Story with Pinterest Marketing Using Cinematic Pins

When diners visit fast food restaurant Wendy’s, it’s because they want a meal fast. When Pinterest users pin an image to a board, it’s usually to save an idea—whether it’s interior design inspiration or a personal care tip—for use in the future. At first glance, the two companies’ business models seem diametrically opposed—but now Wendy’s is partnering with Pinterest to challenge our previously-held conceptions of what fast food means.

This spring, the Ohio-based chain became one of the first nationally-recognized brands to launch a Pinterest campaign featuring their newest feature, Cinematic Pins. Visually similar to a GIF, these pins are short videos that react to online users, moving as they scroll through a page and stopping when they stop. Wendy’s is using Cinematic Pins to promote their Strawberry Fields salad, telling the story of how fresh berries ripen on the farm before heading to a local Wendy’s branch, where they’re carefully stored till someone orders a salad. Most restaurants freeze their fruit, so this approach is novel, and Wendy’s thought it deserved a novel campaign. Since Pinterest’s audience consists largely of women, and the Strawberry Fields salad is being targeted at women, it was a natural fit.

 

Cinematic Pins are still a very new concept for the social media site, with Wendy’s being only one of a handful of marketers participating at this time. They’re a logical evolution for social content, with popular apps Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat all working on developing and incorporating video ad features.

Story via AdWeek.