• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, February 26, 2016

Chicago-based Schafer Condon Carter (SCC) has been appointed to handle creative ad duties for the Friendly’s Ice Cream restaurant chain and ice cream brand after a competitive review.  The agency said it will oversee all brand and promotion creative across all media.  

Friendly’s spent about $5 million on ads for the first nine months of 2015, according to Kantar Media. By comparison, it spent just $3 million for full year 2014. 

The company has worked with several agencies in the past couple of years including Allen & Gerritsen and Forge.

Friendly’s operates 130 company-owned and 130 franchised restaurants and manufactures and distributes ice cream products in more than 8,000 retail outlets.

The account will be led by SCC’s Managing Partner, Jim Stadler.

This marks SCC's return to the full service dining segment of the restaurant industry. The agency also has experience in QSR and Fast-Casual segments.  SCC currently handles AOR duties for Chicago-based regional pizza restaurant chain Giordano's. 

Randy Davis, Chief Marketing Officer at Friendly’s commented, “This is an important decision for Friendly's.  SCC shared some breakthrough ideas on how to communicate our value in a competitive marketplace.”