Tremendous Bowl promoting encourages “love letters” to eating places in assist of the exhausting hit business

Restaurants will be in the spotlight during Sunday’s Super Bowl with a new campaign encouraging fans to bring much-needed love and support to the hard-hit industry.

Cointreau has partnered with the Independent Restaurant Coalition to create an unrivaled Super Bowl debut spot featuring real restaurant industry workers affected by the devastating shutdowns, operational changes and other battles resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The French premium spirits brand worked with the grassroots organization for both the national TV commercial and the associated digital “Love Letters” campaign.

A look behind the scenes of the Super Bowl campaign “Love Letters” by the Independent Restaurant Coalition and Cointreau.

Pilar Garcia, a Minneapolis restaurant host who appears on the ad, told Good Morning America that she was “shocked” when she was first called on the ad.

“Of course because it airs during the Super Bowl, but I knew immediately that this was my calling. I’ve been in the restaurant business for over 30 years and my love for the industry is profound,” she added. “We all have to do everything we can to give restaurants and bars the help they need and deserve.”

Garcia also noted the “integral role” restaurants play in the communities, adding that “there is too much at stake and the loss is incomprehensible. Cointreau clearly understands this. I am extremely impressed and thrilled that they are.” help the IRC advocate the industry across the country. “

Leading up to the big game, Celebrity Chefs and Cointreau will encourage fans to write and share their own love letters to restaurants and bars on social media.

The latest employment report from the Department of Labor showed that 2.5 million restaurant and bar workers remain unemployed and more than one in six restaurants and bars has closed since the pandemic began. In addition, according to the IRC, up to 85% are at risk of permanent closure.

A sign hangs on the door of the Union Grill, which was temporarily closed for COVID-19 on January 28, 2021, in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

While companies like DoorDash are promoting their new home delivery service rather than restaurants, Cointreau is the only food or beverage brand that recognizes the crisis restaurant and bar workers are facing.

Budweiser donated $ 37 million to the Ad Council to refocus the company’s Super Bowl investment, but directed the funds to launch vaccines.

The commercial was produced by the creative agency Intuitive Content, founded by the four-time James Beard award-winning TV personality, chef and IRC co-founder Andrew Zimmer. It will run in 15 major regional markets across the country, on connected TV and digitally on YouTube, as well as through paid and proprietary social channels. Cointreau chose airtime in markets hardest hit by COVID-19, including Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.

Andrew Zimmer, co-founder of IRC, helped produce the Super Bowl commercial.

The 30-second ad will encourage viewers to visit cointreau.com/saverestaurants to share a simple “thank you” or a warm “see you soon” on social media and to tag their favorite bar or restaurant with #SaveRestaurants .

Words of encouragement aside, each of the “love letters” posted will help raise awareness of the plight these small businesses continue to face.

Ann Kim, a Twin Cities restaurant owner who will also appear in commercials, said her story isn’t unique, but she’s proud to share it: “There are 11 million people like me who dine in independent restaurants as well Bars Work That Aren’t Confident They’ll Have a Job or Business Later this Year. Hearing the support of the community means so much at a time when things can look bleak. “

“We take this opportunity to reinforce their voices in one of the greatest moments of the year with our emotionally charged ‘love letter’, an authentic testament to the industry we love and want to see again,” said Ian McLernon. President and CEO of Rémy Cointreau Americas said in a statement. “We are very excited to be working with the Independent Restaurant Coalition to prevent restaurants from disappearing forever.”

“People can’t wait to get back to their favorite restaurants and bars when they can be safe, but there’s no guarantee that the people who make these places special will be around,” Zimmer said. “We are grateful for the national platform that Cointreau has provided and hope that this stimulates a national conversation about the challenges facing the creative and dedicated people who face myriad challenges in dealing with the pandemic.”