Not just another fruitcake
For years, Wendy's has built a loyal following by bringing its signature wit and sass to social media. We wondered what would happen if that same attitude was applied to the holiday season.
The result was Roastivus a tongue-in-cheek celebration for anyone exhausted by forced cheer, awkward office parties, crowded shopping malls, and the general chaos that arrives every December.
Working with a small creative team, I helped develop concepts for a multi-channel campaign that included digital experiences, promotional giveaways, holiday playlists, e-cards, and collectible merchandise.
The winning idea was a talking holiday ornament inspired by Wendy's iconic Spicy Chicken Sandwich. Equal parts decoration and sass-talker, the ornament delivered a collection of irreverent holiday remarks designed to bring a little Wendy's attitude to the tree.
I created concept sketches and visual explorations for the ornament as it evolved from an idea into a finished product.
The commercial
Left on the cutting room floor ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Microgames
Beyond the ornament itself, I also explored a collection of offbeat holiday-themed mobile game concepts starring Wendy as the unlikely hero of Roastivus. While those ideas never made it into production, they remain some of my favorite explorations from the project and a reminder that good concept work often generates far more possibilities than ultimately make it to market.
Just hanging out at home. Perfectly legit way to spend the holidays.
Wrangling reindeer and poking bears. Just another holiday with Wendy.
After one too many holiday gatherings, getting carried off by Krampus sounds pretty good.
After a long day of sorting burgers some self-care is in order.