Dive Brief:

• BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse is partnering with DoorDash to offer free delivery and a free Chocolate Chunk Pizooki to people who call in sick the day after the Super Bowl, also known as "Super Sick Monday," according to a press release. The offer is available from Feb. 4 to 11.
• The restaurant chain also worked with agency BBDO San Francisco on a 30-second video explaining what to do when the game-viewing party "goes from fun to too much fun" and the challenges of leaving the house to get food the day after the big game.
• The campaign was inspired by the 14 million people who reportedly call in sick to work on the Monday morning after the Super Bowl.

Dive Insight:

BJ's is playing into the idea that many Americans will party too hard on Super Bowl Sunday, regardless of whether their team wins or loses, and helping them enjoy their unofficial sick day with free food delivery. The campaign was inspired by the idea that 25% of Americans think the Monday after the big game should be national holiday, and 19% reported having missed work on the day, according to a 2018 survey commissioned by cold medication Mucinex and The Workforce Institute. Last year, Mucinex debuted a #SuperSickMonday ad showing the "letdown" that people experience after the game, with the brand's mascot Mr. Mucus being offended that people take a sick day when they're not actually sick.

By partnering with DoorDash, BJ's is hoping to build awareness for its home delivery and grow its customer base by associating itself to the Super Bowl. The campaign appears to be targeting younger consumers, who are more likely use food delivery apps and tune in to YouTube content. Seventy-seven percent of millennials ordered food for delivery over the past three months, compared to 51% of all U.S. diners, and 44% of millennials used a third-party delivery service, such as DoorDash, compared to 20% of the general population, according to an Acosta and Technomic survey cited in USA Today.

BJ's isn't the only brand partnering with DoorDash around the Super Bowl. Burger King is teaming up with the food delivery app on a "Mystery Box," which consumers will need to keep until the big game on Feb. 3. The box will arrive with instructions to follow as Burger King prepares to air a 45-second commercial during the game, its first in-game campaign in 12 years. DoorDash is also offering free delivery from Burger King through the day after the Super Bowl.