Chick-fil-A launches 80th anniversary marketing campaign

For Chick-fil-A’s 80th anniversary, the chicken chain is going all out: retro packaging, collectible mugs, themed merchandise, and even a chance to win free food for a year.

The chain’s anniversary comes at a time when the restaurant industry is struggling with declining traffic. In order to win back customers, many restaurants have resorted to loud deals, promotions and larger marketing budgets.

As a privately held company, Chick-fil-A does not disclose quarterly financial results, but franchise disclosure documents show that the company’s system sales growth slowed to 5.4% in 2024, making it the first year in more than a decade with sales growth below double digits.

Chick-fil-A has stayed out of the so-called value wars that other restaurants have turned to in order to compete, but the anniversary gives the chain the opportunity to attract more customers to its restaurants. The year-long marketing campaign launches Monday and represents Chick-fil-A’s largest promotional push ever. Khalilah Cooper, vice president of brand strategy, advertising and media at Chick-fil-A, told CNBC that the new ads will highlight the anniversary on both national television shows and on social media.

At the heart of the campaign is what the company calls “newstalgia,” a combination of “new” and nostalgia.

“We thought of this as a way to celebrate our heritage with customers who have been with us, maybe for decades, all 80 years, or whether they’ve been with us for eight days or have never tried a Chick-fil-A before,” Cooper said.

To start, Chick-fil-A is also releasing four collectible vintage mug designs every few weeks, inspired by the company’s archives and the shape of the 32-ounce mug. The chain sells the cups for $3.99 at restaurants across the country.

Additionally, Chick-fil-A has created its own take on Willy Wonka’s famous golden ticket: the Golden Fan Cup. The 3,000 customers who purchase a collectible mug and receive a Golden Fan cup will receive a free Chick-fil-A for a year.

The chain will also offer its popular chicken sandwich for a limited time and retro-inspired packaging.

Chick-fil-A plans to sell themed merchandise through its website throughout the year. Customers visiting its restaurants will also be able to purchase limited-edition designs of its stuffed cows.

Also as part of the campaign, Chick-fil-A is adding frozen sodas and floats to its menu permanently, starting Monday. Customers can also expect to see more limited-time menu items throughout the year than Chick-fil-A typically offers, according to Cooper.

The focus on “newstalgia” will also be front and center at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Friday, when the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Chick-fil-A’s roots go back to 1946, when S. Truett Cathy and his brother opened a restaurant called The Dwarf Grill in Hapeville, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. More than two decades later, Cathy opened the first Chick-fil-A location, with her own chicken sandwich. The company is still family owned, with Cathy’s grandson Andrew serving as its CEO.

The privately owned chain’s system sales reached $22.74 billion in 2024, making it the third-largest restaurant chain in the United States, behind only McDonald’s and Starbucks. Over the past decade, Chick-fil-A has expanded beyond its Southeastern stronghold, opening locations across the United States and planning to expand its international business to the United Kingdom and Singapore.