Restaurant marketing is time-warping back to the future

The themes of several big restaurant chains’ latest marketing campaigns may be instantly recognizable to consumers of a certain vintage. And that familiarity might be exactly what they're shooting for.

As this week’s edition of Restaurant Rewind reports, the newest way for marketers of scale to cut through the clutter is by using an old but reliable tagline, theme or jingle.  Consider the latest efforts from Wendy’s and Burger King, or the campaign Outback Steakhouse says it's developing. Which is exactly what host and Restaurant Business Editor At Large Peter Romeo does in this week’s installment of the podcast.

He notes that the reliance on past hits is consistent with the use of familiar limited-time offers to turn heads.

It’s also part of a larger trend toward rebooting a proven hit in many fields of entertainment.