• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, February 13, 2018

Jack in the Box is positioning a one-day free-delivery promotion as a Valentine’s Day alternative for currently “uncoupled” people who might be tempted to impulsively call or reach out to an ex-flame. 

On February 14, the first 500 people to tweet a taco emoji and a  telephone emoji to @jackbox will receive a few words of encouragement, plus a code good for free delivery of Jack in the Box food on that day only.

Although the promotion is dubbed “Tweet a Taco,” fans can order anything on the online menu. The offer does require a $10 minimum food/beverage order — and downloading the app of Jack in the Box’s delivery partner, Doordash, or visiting doordash.com from a web browser. 

What inspired the idea? Since many fans tend to visit a Jack in the Box or order from the brand during the late-night hours, “Tweet a Taco” is meant as “a lighthearted way for Jack in the Box to add an unconventional twist to these ongoing fan interactions” on day that’s a cultural touchpoint across America, says the company. (The assumption apparently being that desperate calls to exes are likely to happen at night.)

Using the “ex” theme in an attempt at Valentine’s Day humor isn’t exactly new, however. 

Hooters is repeating a V-Day promotion first launched last year, in which consumers who shred a photo of their ex either in-restaurant or in a dedicated page on the brand’s site, and order 10 boneless wings, get 10 more free. 

Last year, the “Shred Your Ex” promotion drove a 114% increase in store traffic, according to new QSR report from PlaceIQ.