• by Les Luchter , December 20, 2021

‘Tis the week for…flight delays and cancellations? This year’s frequent woes might well get worse with Christmas travel.

So Vizzy Hard Seltzer and Shake Shake are taking advantage of this potential captive audience, targeting delayed passengers with three days of freebies.

Grounded travelers in Denver and Chicago can get free cans of Vizzy by popping over to Concourse C near Gate 29 at Denver International Airport or Concourse A near Gate A7 at Midway Airport.

Expected travel problems are also the theme of Vizzy’s online promotion, “Holi-Delays Drinks Giveaway,” which will give out 5,000 instant prepaid $8 MasterCards. The cards can be used to purchase anything, but the Molson Coors brand -- in paid social promotion and earned media relations from agencies Rethink and ICF Next -- will specifically aim to get airport visitors who get the cards to buy Vizzy while they wait for new flights.

For travelers stuck at New York’s JFK, Shake Shack will give away free French fries from Wednesday through Friday. In its “Can’t Fly? Have a Fry” promotion, the QSR chain will require proof of delayed or cancelled flights on travelers’ phones for them to get their crispy crinkle cut fries near gates B23 and B37 in Terminal 4.

For those at other U.S. airports, Shake Shack will offer vouchers for one order of fries to anyone submitting Instagram posts with a @ShakeShack tag that shows them in front of their departure gate board to prove their flight is canceled or delayed.

To promote the campaign nationally and locally, Shake Shack’s launching a video on YouTube and social channels that features a cappella group GroundStone performing a “free fries” version of Jingle Bells (Lyrics include “If you can’t fly/Please don’t cry/Shake Shack saves the day/We sympathize, so here’s free fries…”)

A follow-up video will capture the reaction of JFK airport travelers during the first day of the promotion as they score free fries.

Confidant is the creative and public relations agency.

Shake Shack – which has 14 airport locations across the U.S. -- said the free fries offer could return at other airports in 2022.