When it comes to getting on top of the heap with marketing, it often has more to do with originality and creativity than anything. After all, if you think about some of the fast-food marketing programs that were very successful over the past decades, it really is something that sticks with you. Just think about “Where’s the beef” or the Taco Bell Chihuahua and you will know exactly what I mean.
It seems that Panera Bread is now jumping on board with a promotion of their own. They are offering a new hand warmer that is shaped like one of their famous bread bowls and 450 fans are going to get one.
Interestingly, Panera is not trying to promote their soup with this marketing plan, they are promoting iced coffee.
It really shows that the bread bowl is a good idea on many levels, including protecting yourself from an icy cold coffee drink.
They even have a name for the hand warmer, the “Iced & Toasty Bread Bowl Glove”. It may not actually be made from sourdough bread but it looks authentic from afar.
Alison Brod Marketing + Communications is the public relations firm behind this marketing ploy. The mitten was then made by the 500 Degrees company. They want to promote their MyPanera+ unlimited coffee subscription, which costs $8.99 per month and comes with a bottomless cup of coffee.
You can sign up on the IcedandToasty.com website for your chance to win one of the warmers for yourself.