• by Teresa Buyikian , October 1, 2024

Who says going out to breakfast is only for weekends? Apparently not the Canadian band Loverboy, which has been tapped to promote IHOP’s new value-driven Weekday Faves Menu.

The campaign prominently features Loverboy’s hit, “Working for the Weekend,” rerecorded by the original band to be more appropriate as “Working for the Weekdays.”

The effort promotes IHOP’s Monday through Friday  7 a.m. to 10 p.j. Faves menu, which ranges in price from $6-$7 depending on location, and contains some of IHOP’s bestselling breakfast items such as the, Ham and Cheese Omelette, French Toast Breakfast and House Scramble with Hash Browns.

The song is key to the TV effort, the first spot of which is a mock music video for “Working for the Weekdays” -- except instead of the band, the song is hilariously performed by anthropomorphic versions of IHOP’s classic tabletop syrup dispensers.

“With over 70% of IHOP orders including a breakfast item, we are leaning into some of our most beloved breakfast favorites and having a good time doing so,” said Kieran Donahue, IHOP CMO in the release. “By leveraging a nostalgia-inducing ‘blast from the past’ to further drive home IHOP’s value proposition, we’re showing guests that everything we do, every decision we make, is for them.”

The brand has also tapped actress Julie Bowen of “Modern Family” fame for the campaign, created by AOR Pereira O’Dell. Bowen appears in another spot as a mom helping her son learning how to drive (while “Working for the Weekdays” plays in the background). When he immediately proceeds to back into their trashcans as he’s pulling out of the driveway, she nervously asks him “IHOP?” He enthusiastically agrees and they immediately switch seats so Bowen can drive to the restaurant.

The new effort is a “full omnichannel campaign, across TV, social, influencer partnerships and digital designed to drive guests into restaurants,” an IHOP representative told Marketing Daily. The song and ads are prominently featured on IHOP social media platforms such as Instagram.