Dive Brief:

• Chick-fil-A is getting into the entertainment business with the launch of a new app, Chick-fil-A Play, per a company announcement. The app will include original content and games and is designed for parents and kids.
• Chick-fil-A Play will be available for download for free starting Nov. 18 and will include family-friendly content in the form of original animated shows, original scripted podcasts, games, e-books and interactive stories and video-based recipes and crafts.
• The announcement comes roughly two months after it was reported that Chick-fil-A was developing its own streaming service. While it’s unclear whether the Chick-fil-A Play app is the result of that exploration, it is likely tied to the chain’s plans to develop and distribute its own content.

Dive Insight:

Chick-fil-A is paving a new way to connect to target consumers with Chick-fil-A Play. The move notably arrives at a time when branded apps have hit the market less often, likely due to the difficulty and costs tied to the launch of an app and its subsequent updates. The effort could be key to building a connection with consumers beyond the drive-thru. During a period when marketers are struggling to ensure their messaging doesn’t appear next to offensive content, it also represents a way for Chick-fil-A to ensure its marketing adheres to its desired persona.

“Hospitality and fun have always been at the core of the Chick-fil-A family experience, whether inside our Restaurants and play areas, or through our Kids Meals”” said Dustin Britt, executive director of brand strategy at Chick-fil-A, in a statement. “The Chick-fil-A Play App is a digital extension of that experience and another way we’re reimagining ‘Play’ for our Guests, in a unique way through entertainment that really encourages time together.”

The announcement was light on programming details. However, one of the highlighted animated shows indicated it would take place in a setting called “Evergreen Hills,” a locale for a series of short animated films Chick-fil-A began creating in 2019.

A trailer for the new show, “Legends of Evergreen Hills,” depicts a fantastical forest land filled with “spark power” that is created through kindness and good deeds. Evergreen Hills, however, is under threat because there are people misusing the spark power, rather than using it to help others. A young girl is enlisted to protect the fantastical world of Evergreen Hills.

Though the app is new, Chick-fil-A’s experience in digital entertainment is not. After creating its 2019 short film, the company has produced subsequent Evergreen Hills stories every year for the holidays. Last year’s 10-minute video, “The Spark Tree,” has been viewed more than 140 million times on YouTube. The company last year also started a games and activities brand, Pennycake, which sells puzzles, lawn games and conversation starter card decks.

The entertainment app’s release also comes at an inflection point for media, where companies like Target, Walmart and United Airlines are leveraging media networks — and their data — as an advertising channel to generate revenue. According to media reports, Chick-fil-A has no immediate plans to sell ads on its Play app; instead, it intends to be a place where families can enjoy content together.

Beyond its new app, Chick-fil-A has sought other ways to build consumer loyalty within the mobile experience. Last summer, the chicken chain launched “Code Moo,” a digital game that challenged players to help take down the brand’s “burger-slinging nemesis.” The game doled out 2.5 million food rewards each week, while supplies lasted, to Chick-fil-A One loyalty members who completed weekly challenges.