We’re Always Ready To ‘Seas The Day’

SSP America’s ‘fin-tastically’ creative team of commercial experts, led by VP of Commercial Josh Barone, were winners at the 2024 Questex Vibe Conference, the premier on-premise beverage conference for chain beverage executives.

SSP America was a finalist for Best Overall Beverage Program and won for Best Limited Time Offer for our Shark Week Seas The day limited time offer LTO. Seas the Day kicked off on Jul. 5, 2023, and ran throughout the month at 15 major U.S. airports from coast to coast. 

A significant part of our adult beverage plan is the LTO program. This program includes a carefully developed strategy and calendar designed to maximize passenger interest in trends and pop culture, coincide with holidays, and promote specific products. The LTO program includes a thematic set of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages that are promoted through printed collateral and our digital payment platforms. Each campaign takes a tremendous amount of research, collaboration, and development. To develop the overall program, our team works with a variety of consultants who specialize in predictive analysis of trends and adult beverage development and marketing. This team of third-party experts fully collaborates with us on the overall strategy as well as each campaign.

Featuring four signature cocktails and one whimsical mocktail, the Seas the Day campaign also included a comprehensive promotion package that transformed the environment into a beach-like atmosphere. Patrons first spotted the prominent Seas the Day signage designed to look like a beach warning ‘Surf at Your Own Risk—Cocktails Sighted Ahead.’ Once they stepped inside, they saw the campaign featured prominently throughout the restaurant, sure to make a shark ‘fin-atic’ out of every customer. 

The swag included: an eight-foot photo backdrop where staff and travelers could take a picture in a shark’s mouth; a handheld menu in the shape of a shark head with a bend in the middle to mimic the opening and closing of shark jaws; team members sporting one of two on-brand shirts with kitschy slogans, ‘Lifeguard Off Duty’ and ‘Stay Positive’; and shark sunglasses with the purchase of the all-ages beverage.

The drinks included exciting finishing touches, such as ‘swimming’ shark candies, shimmer syrup, and/or shark fin ice cubes.

The level of detail and creativity in the Seas the Day campaign is uncommon for chain restaurants and bars, especially for airport concessions. It was a campaign befitting the food travel experts at SSP America, who strive to ensure that travel is not just about reaching a destination but enjoying the journey. No wonder so many SSP America employees think they have the best restaurant jobs around! ‘Jaw-some’ job, team!