Hipsters, an AdAge expat, and the vp marketing at Denny's talked up "Always Open" the-comedy-talk-show-in-a-Denny's-booth program that John Dillon, the marketing veep at the restaurant chain said
boosted awareness among younger Americans.
The blurb is that Always Open, which has Dave Koechner -- humorist and actor -- has helped position the brand as America's diner and is a bona fide
branded content success story.
Denny's teamed with DumbDumb, a digital studio founded by Will Arnett and Jason Bateman.
It may be because it's 99 degrees out in NY and walking over
here I was accosted by no fewer than five people begging me to come to a comedy club. It may be because on the way to OMMA Video I passed Caroline's Comedy Club and remembered (having performed comedy
myself at one time) that Woody Allen is absolutely correct that comedians, by and large, aren't sitting at the grownups table.
In any case, bottom line: I'm skeptical that Sarah Silverman and
Amy Poehler are going to get thinking people into Denny's. By thinking people, I mean people who think to themselves, "I'm going to such and such a restaurant because the food might be good," rather
than people who say "I saw a funny video on YouTube featuring my favorite SNL idiot, so I"m now going to go eat at the restaurant in whose booth this took place."
Personally I cannot recall
a single time in my life when I went to a restaurant and spent good money because I thought it was "America's Diner" or because I associated it with someone's interview with an off color comic. In
fact, I might be inclined to avoid the restaurant unless they start doing open mikes. I might think to myself, "the food must suck if they are marketing the restaurant with Sarah Silverman." And I
have eaten at Denny's and I actually like the fare.
Here's my advice to Denny's: ditch the idea that comedy sells food, ambience, comfort, security and anything else one associates with a
diners, comfort food, and a square deal. If you want to do something along these lines, I should think customers are going to respond more to associations with substantial people who are more "Us"
than "Them."
People probably know Sarah Silverman, Amy Koehler, not to mention Dave Koechner, Will Arnett, Scott Donaton eat at Denny's.