America took a pause in its daily doomscrolling on Tuesday to celebrate some happy news of love. And restaurant brands were right there with them.
Yes, Taylor (Swift) and Travis (Kelce) are getting hitched. She said yes. (And their Instagram post announcing that your "English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married" garnered more than 30 million likes in less than 24 hours.)
It’s the union Swifties and, well, Kansas City football fans, had been waiting for. And, in fact, restaurant brands responded to the happy news so quickly, it was almost like they had pre-gamed for the moment.
Several posts featured engagement onion rings—a reference to the Swift song “Paper Rings,” in which she says she likes shiny things but would accept even a paper ring from her beloved. That apparently wasn’t necessary. Swift is reportedly now sporting an 8-carat diamond worth more than a half million dollars.
There were also pretzel rings.
And fish.
According to news reports, the proposal actually happened two weeks ago, but the news was announced 13 days—Swift’s lucky number—after she appeared on Kelce’s podcast to reveal details about her album coming in October.
On that podcast, Swift mentioned her passion for sourdough, which Panera Bread attempted to reference.
SHE SAID YEAST
Several brands took the opportunity to drive in traffic with the offer of discounts.
California Pizza Kitchen is in its “celebration era” offering guests (the lucky) 13 days of heart-shaped “It’s a Love Story Pizza,” available for dine in or takeout.
“So grab your lover and come shake it off at CPK to enjoy the offer of our wildest dreams,” said the lyrics-studded promotional materials.
And, of course, a wedding means catering opportunities. Voodoo Doughnut celebrated the news with custom newlywed dolls, which are available for such celebrations. And the doughnut chain noted that their pink shops are also available for wedding ceremonies.
There was plenty of orange, the official color of Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl era. (But everyone knows her favorite color is purple, duh.)
And the photo of the young couple will no doubt become an iconic moment in pop culture that restaurant brands were using on Wednesday to grab eyeballs.
Employers on Tuesday no doubt prepared for the diminished attention span of workers, and perhaps even absences on Wednesday, as the news spread.
Other brands, perhaps, hope the partnership doesn’t work out (and that they may still have a chance to win her heart).
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