A Bold Trap with Sweet Results
- Challenge
- Imo’s needed a reason to visit that wasn’t a coupon. So we built a trap.
- Solution
- We designed a modern campaign worthy of the obsession it was designed to create.
- Results
- The right kind of diners engaged – and showed up.
Imo’s // The Honey Trap
Challenge
Imo’s Pizza was heading into Q1 with declining traffic and a growing gap between its 60-year legacy and the younger diners who didn’t share their parents’ nostalgia for it. In a category drowning in discount wars, Imo’s needed trial and habit formation without torching their margins or brand equity.
Solution
Category research revealed an opening: hot honey was up 430%, cupping pepperoni up 406%, and Imo’s had seen success with similar, somewhat polarizing flavor profiles (like wings dusted with Red Hot Riplets). It was time to experiment with a true LTO that would induce cravings for the more adventurous palate.
We named it The Honey Trap, and the creative leaned into the conceit: dating app aesthetics, warning signs, provocative copy and a spy-themed soundtrack. Media ran the full funnel – CTV, online video, paid social, OOH and influencer partnerships – timed around meal-planning dayparts and anchored to a price point that felt like a deal without acting like one.
Social Cutdowns
Paid Social
Results
The Honey Trap” campaign created an immediate surge in brand trial, online ordering, and high-intent digital engagement:
-
1.8 Million Impressions
Streaming channels like CTV and video dominated reach, driving awareness to splashy new news.
-
7% Paid Search CTR
High-intent keywords and smart copy drastically outperformed category benchmarks.
-
87% Video Completion Rate
Digital video interesting enough to skip the skip button.
-
15,000+ Month One Conversions
A successful boost in visits and orders in the first 30 days, successfully hitting the brand’s desired younger audience.
