• by Fern Siegel , November 27, 2023

Red Lobster has a simple message for diners: “We Got It.”

The campaign by Barkley, the brand’s AOR, runs through Jan. 7 across Red Lobster’s paid channels — national TV, digital and social.

The restaurant chain wants Americans to savor the unexpected. Instead of traditional holiday fare, such as ham or turkey and stuffing, try its lobster-and-shrimp celebration.

Gospel Grammy winner Pastor Shirley Caesar is part of that push, revamping her original lyrics for the brand's new TV and social executions. 

In 2015, Pastor Caesar became an internet sensation when a snippet of her sermon, “Hold My Mule,” was remixed into a social video that instantly went viral to celebrate food.

Now, she’s created a holiday remix with Red Lobster, but instead of calling out “greens, beans, potatoes, tomatoes,” her lyrics reflect Red Lobster's holiday menu: “tails, shrimp, waiters, potatoes.”

“The holidays are a time for connecting, celebrating, and reminiscing,” Dana Satterwhite, SVP, creative director for Barkley, told Agency Daily. ”That’s exactly what our Lobster and Shrimp Celebration spots, featuring the vocal stylings of gospel queen Pastor Shirley Caesar, are designed to do — bring us together to laugh, sing and break bread in the form of new savory and decadent Cheddar Bay Stuffing. No bluffing.”