How we helped Canada's largest Tex-Mex chain drive a 200% increase in web traffic and level up brand affinity across the country

The Challenge

Being Canada’s biggest Tex-Mex chain wasn’t enough.

BarBurrito had over 350 locations and a menu with more than a million customizable options—but in a saturated market, awareness was lagging. The brand wasn’t top of mind for quick dining, and it needed more than just size to stand out. To become the go-to choice for Canadians, BarBurrito had to earn cultural relevance.

The Insight

Food is personal—and it’s emotional.

Every mood comes with a craving. Spicy. Comforting. Bold. Familiar. The idea? Position BarBurrito as the brand that gets you—no matter what kind of day you’re having. By building a campaign around mood-based eating, we could match real-life moments with real menu items and turn those into unforgettable cultural connections.

Services

Influencer & Athlete Partnerships
Paid Social & Digital Ads
Commercial Production
Broadcast Media Strategy
In-Store Creative & Collateral
Branded Content & Photography

Smiling man in sports jersey holding a tray with a burrito, fries, and chips with toppings.Kelly Olynyk in red holding a steak burrito from the Food Mood classic steak burrito promotion.

The strategy

One campaign. Every mood. Maximum impact.

We created and launched the “Food for Every Mood” campaign—a fully integrated, four-month push designed to drive awareness, increase foot traffic, and connect with new customers across the country.

Our approach:

Leverage athlete influencers to create strong cultural resonance

Build a creative campaign around mood-based messaging

Drive awareness through strategic media buys during key sports moments

Activate across all major platforms: digital, broadcast, in-store, and social

@jade.smiith

x

@jedtavernier

The Execution

Campaign Creative

From production to rollout, every element of the campaign laddered back to one big idea: mood matters.

We developed:

  • 1 hero brand commercial
  • 3 emotion-specific mood spots
  • Bold visuals, copy, and social assets driven by Mood Cards—inspired by collectible basketball cards

Influencer & Talent Partnerships

Each video paired two personalities representing different moods, complete with distinct lighting, wardrobe, and styling that made each vibe unmistakable.


Featured talent included:

  • Kelly Olynyk
  • Gradey Dick
  • Jaym O’Esso
  • Jade Smith
  • Jedson Tavernier

Paid Social & Broadcast

We went deep on media strategy, hitting high-impact placements at just the right time:

  • Raptors and NBA games during peak viewership
  • NFL divisional and championship games
  • Digital ads across Meta, TikTok, and YouTube
  • Radio during Toronto Blue Jays broadcasts

Using contextual targeting, we zeroed in on foodies, sports fans, and engaged communities already hungry for something new.

A tall man in a red sports outfit and a woman in a black BarBurrito uniform cheerfully holding a wrapped burrito together inside a restaurant.Person with silver-studded hair wearing a silver jacket and mesh top against red and white background.

50+

million views on broadcast

74+

million social media impressions

39%

increase in searches for “barburrito near me”

288%

increase in direct sessions

43%

increase in new users

5.5%

engagement rate (avg. is 1-2%)

Behind the scenes

Two smiling men sitting in a restaurant holding a burrito and loaded fries with a red logo behind them.

@gradey

@kellyolynyk

@jaymoesso

Why it worked

01

Mood-based marketing resonates

Tying emotions to food helped us build real connections—and drive real impact.

02

Cultural relevance matters

Sports culture gave the campaign a strong anchor in the lives of our audience.

03

Multi-touchpoint execution wins

A fully integrated approach across in-store, digital, and broadcast kept BarBurrito top of mind.

04

Influencer alignment builds trust

Tapping credible talent boosted authenticity and expanded reach organically.