Marketing in the News: "Jack in the Box: DealQuest"

    

         I came across an interesting article while looking through some marketing websites. It was about Jack in the Box launching a choose-your-own-adventure video game inside their mobile app called DealQuest: Revenge of the Munchies. It’s a unique way to blend fast food, marketing, and gaming all into one. I love when brands get creative, and this stood out to me because I’ve always liked video games and creative storytelling. It wasn’t just about selling food, but about building an actual experience around the brand. You can read the article here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/jack-in-the-box-ai-powered-in-app-game-deliver-value/761621/

In the game, users team up with Jack in an apocalyptic world to defeat “AI Munchie Meals,” which are food items from their menu turned into enemies. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure type of game where you unlock in-app food deals as you play. The rewards start off small (like free fries or drink) and slowly get bigger and become “Buy two get one free meals!” so you still give the company your money, but you have more food than you would’ve if you hadn’t spent your time playing their game. These deals also incentivize people to engage with the brand repeatedly. I think it’s smart because it taps into both gaming and food cravings. That said, a major flaw is their use of AI. While it saves money, it risks replacing artists and jobs. Jack in the Box is a large enough brand to hire real creatives and cutting corners here feel very disappointing.

My three biggest takeaways from this article are: 

1. Gamification = Engagement. Games have just been gaining more and more popularity in recent days, and people are more and more likely to ignore regular commercials and immediately skip them or block them out of their minds entirely.

2. Rewards-Based Marketing. As you progress through the game, you get better rewards, which encourages people to stick with it and potentially come back multiple times.

3. Marketing that feels fun and up-to-date with the times. This campaign ties into Jack’s personality as a brand and feels more like entertainment than a regular promotion, which is the entire point, but highlights marketing strategies that are more effective these days. 

The company’s value proposition is something like this: “Jack in the Box provides a fun, bold, and late-night-friendly fast food with a playful, irreverent brand personality that stands out from the other chains!” Their food isn’t trying to be overly fancy or super healthy, it’s about indulgence, convenience, and fun. This campaign fits that perfectly. 

The most relevant marketing idea here is clearly observational marketing. Instead of a typical ad, they’ve created an interactive world. They partnered with major agencies and promoted it across social media, gaming platforms, and even Twitch (a livestreaming website) to promote it. Earlier this year, they also did something similar with a Fortnite map and a livestream with T-Pain. Their recent ad campaigns have definitely been very Gen Z focused!

One challenge Jack in the Box seems to be facing is the fact that fast food competition is very fierce, and people are becoming more and more price-conscious. With inflation and food prices going up, consumers want more value. This campaign is their way of responding by making deals feel exciting and rewarding rather than just basic discounts. However, their target audience for this is still a pretty specific group- people who are into casual mobile gaming, eat fast food, and are already using the app or are willing to download a new one.

What makes their marketing approach unique is the way they’ve integrated their brand voice into the entire experience. Jack isn’t just in a commercial, he’s your in-game sidekick. The “AI Munchie Meals” make their own food items the villains, which I thought was kinda funny. It definitely appeals to a younger, more online audience who enjoys memes, gaming culture, and apps. It’s not every day a burger chain launches an apocalyptic video game inside their pre-existing app, right?

I think the marketing strategy is actually pretty good. It’s creative, consistent with their branding, and leveraged trends like gamification and interactive storytelling. However, I would definitely drop the AI part of it all. 

One thing I learned from this article is that marketing doesn’t have to be boring or predictable. You can mix entertainment and business if you really understand your audience profiles and lean into your brand personality. Jack in the Box isn’t trying to be like McDonald’s or Burger King- and that’s a good thing.