IHOP Launches ‘We Could All Use a Pancake’ Marketing Campaign

IHOP has launched a new Twitter-based marketing campaign, “We Could All Use a Pancake,” to celebrate the reopening of restaurants around the country and welcome guests back by focusing on the comforting nature of the fluffy breakfast food.The chain, owned by Glendale-based Dine Brands Global Inc., said its Twitter account, @IHOP, will feature daily giveaways of free pancakes through July 2, giving guests a chance to win if they request “Pancake Support” by tweeting stories about quarantine misadventures, work from home fails, funny mishaps or reasons why they just need a pancake.“After a year that can only be described as challenging, we are ready to reconnect with our guests, smile and laugh together over delicious food including pancakes, omelettes, burgers and the rest IHOP has to offer,” Kieran Donahue, chief marketing officer of IHOP, said in a statement. “We invite everyone to come together under our blue roof over some feel-good food and warm smiles.”The tongue-in-cheek campaign is meant to highlight the power of a pick-me-up when life’s everyday disappointments get you down and will feature viral content creators and reality stars sharing their missteps and minor failures.Shares of Dine Brands Global Inc. (DIN) closed down Tuesday 56 cents, or a fraction of a percent, to $86.96 on the New York Stock Exchange.