“Free Radicals helped us create a unique launch strategy for our quarterly product releases, going way beyond typical partnerships and activations to boost awareness effectively in our category.”
Scott Hargrove
Chief Marketing Office
To refocus the California Pizza Kitchen brand and win relevance in the minds of young foodies, we unlocked the power of cultural collaboration with two of the world’s most exciting chefs: Matty Matheson and Action Bronson. We were hell-bent on inspiring culinary creativity within the CPK team and its customers, leading us to partner with RVCA and Vans for an exclusive line of merch and the most enviable staff uniforms in the most Californian way possible.
Shake shit up and re-ignite CPK’s culinary creativity /
Since its founding in the eighties, CPK has developed a reputation for being the most creative team in the culinary game, hence its almost immediate growth. Over time, the world caught up with CPK, so it was time for them to lead again.
CPK X RVCA X VANS Merch and uniforms were a directly connected to the Matty Vs. Action collab, deepening the partnership while solving a business need.
Fuel.
In response to guest feedback and the need to refresh the pizza menu with a constant stream of fresh, creative offerings, CPK relaunched the old favorite, Santa Fe Chicken PIZZA, and the new Jamaican Jerk Chicken Pizza creation.
Spark.
Connect CPK to popular culture and unlock the culinary collaboration trend to create buzz for the new menu launch, but make it suitable for CPK and not simply transactional.
Fire.
We love competition, who doesn’t? The fun, the spectacle, and the choice of sides are the reasons sports are so prevalent in our culture–but unlike sports–pitting two world-class chefs against each other results in something we can all agree on–delicious pizza. Like Frasier Vs. Ali or Federer Vs. Nadal, Matty Vs. Action promises to bring the heat and excitement to a CPK near you.
