• by Teresa Buyikian , October 27, 2023

“However You Panda,” Panda Express’ new campaign, “accentuates the seemingly personal tactile experiences tied to Panda Express's dishes,” according to the company.

The initial :30 hero TV spot depicts several varied Panda diner scenarios. It opens with a man staring at his Crab Rangoon while dining in a Panda restaurant. He proceeds to dip the appetizer into his sweet and sour sauce, then dip it into his shocked dining companion’s Orange Chicken.

Next we see an elderly man enjoying Panda Express at home, using chop sticks to guide long Chow Mein noodles into his mouth, while a small boy slurps the noodles directly out of the container. Then a mother and daughter enjoy Panda Express’s Honey Walnut Shrimp at home, until the daughter realizes her mother has eaten all the walnuts out of her meal, and steals some back.

The spot ends with a woman with Broccoli Beef in a to go container in her car, adding drops of her own hot sauce to the meal, then sealing it back up and shaking it to spread the sauce throughout the meal. (No doubt a nod to the Kardashians, known for their habit of shaking their to-go meals to evenly distribute the dressing).  The on-screen copy reads “However You Panda.”

“Our initiative goes beyond just serving food; it's about recreating simple moments that stay with us,” said Fabiola Del Rio, vice president of integrated marketing communications at Panda Restaurant Group. “The glee of sharing, and the pure joy of indulging - this campaign reconnects with those feelings.

In addition to the :30 ads, the effort includes five :15 spots, approximately 40 social posts, POP, OOH, and online banners. The spots will appear on national broadcast, cable, Meta, YouTube and TikTok, a company representative told Marketing Daily. The multi-faceted campaign, created in partnership with The Many, The Many Studios, and Pal8 Media, will run through the end of 2023 across the U.S. and in select Canadian markets.