• by Teresa Buyikian , March 17, 2025

This week Whataburger launched “The Beacon,” the burger brand’s first commercial featuring Grammy Award-winning country music star and 2025 Whataburger Ambassador Lainey Wilson.

The campaign’s hero :30 spot, seen here, was created by Whataburger’s agency of record McGarrah Jessee and produced by Tool of North America. The ad depicts Wilson’s life on the road, opening on scenes of her concert and then lively fan interactions. Wilson proclaims her hunger (and love of the chain’s Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits) while boarding her tour bus, goofing around with her band, eventually arriving at Whataburger, with the chain’s brightly lit sign serving as the “beacon,” a familiar and comforting place during the chaos of touring.

“Whataburger has a long history of connecting with fans throughout different stages of their lives,” Scott Hudler, Whataburger CMO told Marketing Daily. “Lainey Wilson’s love for Whataburger is just one of countless stories we hear from fans who grew up with [us], and now look for the bright orange and white sign as a home away from home. Stopping into a Whataburger while on the road is a time-honored tradition for folks from all walks of life, so we’re proud to … share Lainey and her band’s story as kindred spirits to all the Whataburger fans out there.”

The spot airs on broadcast and cable TV, as well as streaming media. There are also social media efforts, OOH and programmatic media throughout the San Antonio-based chain’s 16-state footprint encompassing approx. 1,090 restaurants.

The new spot is part of Whataburger’s year-long 75th anniversary celebration, which kicked off earlier this year with the chain announcing the limited-time return of some classic menu items, such as the Monterey Melt and Chicken Fajita Taco. Earlier this month Whataburger created the Whataburger Museum of Art (WMOA) at SXSW, which was a pop-up art gallery experience in downtown Austin featuring Whataburger-inspired fan art.