San Diego-based Jack in the Box, known for an annual Halloween-theme marketing campaign, is promoting this month its Jack app featuring a choose-your-own-adventure, artificial intelligence-powered game called “DealQuest: Revenge of the Munchies.”
The game uses Open AI that allows players to craft their own dynamic adventures and unlock codes to purchase menu items, making the promotion perhaps the first AI game that you can actually eat.
According to a statement from the fast-food hamburger chain, here’s how the game works: Players meet brand mascot Jack Box in a restaurant where something feels off. In a witty, apocalyptic twist, fans soon find themselves teaming up with Jack to fight off a legion of evil “AI Munchie Meals” that bite back. Every typed action, question and decision shapes a one-of-a-kind storyline, making the game entirely re-playable.
As players progress, they encounter real Jack in the Box menu items and unlock codes for discounts on seasonal Monster Munchie Meals and classic favorites. Those codes can be redeemed for craveable deals that load straight into their offer bank in the Jack app. Players are offered bigger rewards the deeper they get into the game. Plus, once a player redeems an offer in the app, they’re automatically entered for a chance to win prizes, including a custom Jack in the Box gaming PC, the latest gaming consoles or Resident Evil game codes.
Available menu discounts — perfect for cash-crunched consumers — include free regular-size drink, two free tacos or free regular-size shake all with a $5-plus purchase, along with lower prices on onion rings, Jumbo Jack sandwiches and chicken sandwiches.
“Deal Quest: Revenge of the Munchies is the latest example of how Jack in the Box is using innovation to deliver real value and unforgettable experiences to its fans,” a Jack in the Box statement said. “By blending gaming, storytelling, and crave-worthy offers, it’s a seamless extension of the Jack app designed to reward fans the more they play.
Clearly, Jack in the Box has developed a marketing case study that moves value from the transactional to the experiential by using AI to power the characters, background graphics and storyline, including hidden discoveries that players can uncover along the way. The game is a way to connect audiences with brand engagement in ways that deeply resonate with the subcultures that intersect the brand’s late-night sweet spot, specifically gamers and horror fans.
Marketing Dive, a trade publication, said the Halloween promotion is an example of how “Jack in the Box continues to tap into the world of gaming to fuel its marketing initiatives and create cultural experiences that move beyond pure menu promotions.”
The promotion is considered part of the chain’s overall strategy to create experiences around its brand and app, linking its menu, personality and deals into one message, according to Ryan Ostrom, Jack in the Box’s executive vice president and chief customer and digital officer.
“The future of fast food isn’t just about what you order, it’s about how you experience it,” said Ostrom. “With DealQuest, we’re pushing the boundaries of what a fast food in-app experience should look like by fusing AI, gaming and storytelling to make the Jack app more immersive, personalized and fun. It’s a taste of where we’re headed: a digital ecosystem where great food, craveable deals, and unforgettable experiences come together, and the deeper you go, the more you unlock.”
The game was created in partnership with agency TBWA\Chiat\Day LA and will be promoted through social, mobile and apps that are popular with gaming audiences. The game is available between Oct. 1 and 31, exclusively on the Jack app.
Jack in the Box operates and franchises one of the nation’s largest hamburger chains with approximately 2,160 restaurants across 22 states, and Del Taco, the second largest Mexican-American, quick-service restaurant chain by units in the U.S. with approximately 600 restaurants across 17 states.
Jon Burke named chief marketing officer at San Diego’s Qdoba
San Diego-based Qdoba, a Mexican fast-casual restaurant brand with 825 outlets in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, has promoted Jon Burke to chief marketing officer. He will report to John Cywinski, Qdoba CEO.
Burke joined Qdoba in 2023 as VP, national marketing. Prior to Qdoba, he held marketing roles of increasing responsibility with Jollibee Foods, Applebee’s Grill + Bar, McDonald’s Corp. and Del Taco.
In his role, Burke will oversee brand storytelling, integrated marketing and media, guest loyalty and digital engagement, as well as culinary innovation, a statement said. He also will be responsible for leading Qdoba’s portfolio of agency partners, including Leo and Infinite Roar Media, as well as digital agency Bounteous.
“Jon is a trusted and respected leader who has earned this opportunity with his many contributions to Qdoba’s momentum over the past two years as vice president of national marketing,” said Cywinski. “What I value most about Jon is his authentic leadership style, deep understanding of the restaurant industry and its rapidly evolving digital media landscape, and his passion for franchisee collaboration. He will be excellent in his new role, and we are blessed to have a very talented marketing and culinary team supporting Jon.”
“We are putting food front and center, flame-grilled cooking, freshly prepared ingredients, and unique offerings like free guacamole and queso on any entrée,” said Burke. “Investing in what sets us apart is crucial on the road to consumer discovery, especially as we target 100-plus restaurant openings a year. I’m energized by the momentum across our teams, franchise system and agency partners.”
Qdoba is considered America’s No. 2 restaurant brand in the Mexican fast-casual category. The chain said it has more than 600 new restaurants in development. It recently signed one of the largest franchise deals in brand history, a 50-restaurant agreement with Barry Dubin of B Wild Investments, LLC, for outlets in Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado and Alaska.
Cause Conference will address social issues, Oct. 9
The 27th annual Cause Conference will be held from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 9, at the Sharp Healthcare Prebys Innovation and Education Center, 8695 Spectrum Center Blvd., San Diego. The public is invited to attend.
The one-day conference is billed as Southern California’s premier event for advancing social impact and sustainability. This year’s theme is “Harnessing the Power of Business and Education.”
A statement said, “The Cause Conference provides a unique platform for cross-sector collaboration, equipping leaders to build partnerships and create solutions that align purpose with profit.”
A highlight of this year’s conference will be a session with Patagonia, a global leader in sustainability and corporate activism. Officials with Patagonia and the San Diego County Office of Sustainability are expected to discuss efforts to protect natural resources, with a spotlight on cross-border water and beach pollution issues affecting the San Diego and Tijuana region.
More than 400 people are expected to attend. Per-person cost to attend is $450 for people from for-profit companies, $325 for people from nonprofits and $200 for students and educators.
For more information, send an email to info@causesandiego.org or visit www.causesandiego.org.
Rick Griffin is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly on Mondays in Times of San Diego.
