Restaurant LED Billboard Truck Advertising: Our Chick-fil-A and Wendy's Campaigns in Providence, RI

Boost Outdoor Media ran LED billboard truck campaigns for two national restaurant chains in the Providence, Rhode Island area: Chick-fil-A and Wendy's. Chick-fil-A used the truck to tell downtown Providence about its pickup and delivery location at 65 Bath St. Wendy's used it for a breakfast campaign, "#DitchTheDonut," with a costumed Wendy character and a brand ambassador at shopping centers. Two brands, two very different goals — and the same playbook any restaurant can use for a grand opening, a new menu item or delivery launch in any state.

Chick-fil-A's downtown Providence message: where the location is, and that customers can pick up or get delivery.

Campaign 1: Chick-fil-A Providence Delivery

Chick-fil-A's goal was simple: make sure people downtown knew there was a Chick-fil-A at 65 Bath St., and that they could order pickup or delivery. That's the kind of message a restaurant can't fit on a banner and that most people won't see in a social feed.

The creative answered three questions in one screen — who (the Chick-fil-A logo), where (65 Bath St., Providence, RI) and how (pick-up or delivery). We added a video version showing the restaurant itself, so people would recognize the building.

Outside Providence Place, one of the busiest shopping and foot-traffic spots in the city.

The video version showed the restaurant itself, so people would recognize it when they walked by.

Campaign 2: Wendy's #DitchTheDonut breakfast

Wendy's had a different job: get people to switch their morning routine to Wendy's breakfast. The creative was playful — "Go make the donuts and leave breakfast to us!" and "This Wendy's breakfast sandwich is wicked good… said the donut man" — a nod to New England's coffee-and-donut habit, with breakfast sandwiches big enough to read from the parking lot.

What made this campaign stand out was the people. A costumed Wendy character and a brand ambassador worked alongside the truck, turning a moving billboard into a pop-up event that shoppers stopped to photograph.

A costumed Wendy character turned the truck into a photo stop.

A brand ambassador alongside the #DitchTheDonut creative near a store's order pickup entrance.

"Wicked good" — local language that lands in New England.

Where the trucks went

Both campaigns followed the same rule: go where people already are, at the moment they're thinking about food.

• Downtown Providence — for Chick-fil-A, near office workers, students and shoppers who order lunch and dinner.
• Providence Place — the city's main mall, with heavy foot traffic all day.
• Shopping center parking lots — for Wendy's, in front of stores like JCPenney and TJ Maxx/HomeGoods, where shoppers walk right past the screen.

Shoppers walked right past the Wendy's screen on their way into TJ Maxx and HomeGoods.

Side and rear screens let drivers see the message from more than one direction.

What restaurants can learn from both campaigns

• Say where you are. Chick-fil-A put the street address on the screen. For a new location or delivery zone, that's the most useful thing a passer-by can learn.
• Show the food big. Wendy's filled the screen with breakfast sandwiches. People decide with their eyes.
• Add people. A mascot or brand ambassador turns a truck into an event, and people share the photos.
• Use local language. "Wicked good" works in New England. Every market has its own version.
• Time it to the meal. Breakfast campaigns run in the morning; lunch and delivery campaigns near offices and campuses at midday.

Restaurant LED truck campaigns in any state

These campaigns ran in Rhode Island, but the playbook works anywhere. Boost Outdoor Media coordinates LED billboard trucks in markets across the United States for restaurant and franchise campaigns, including:

• Grand openings for new locations — see how we did it for Nordstrom Rack in Ramsey, NJ.
• Delivery and pickup launches in a new area.
• New menu items and limited-time offers.
• Multi-city franchise rollouts, with the same creative running in several states.

What it costs

LED billboard truck campaigns with Boost Outdoor Media typically cost $1,200–$1,400 per day, depending on the market, hours and route. See our mobile billboard cost guide for details.

Plan your restaurant campaign

Opening a new location, launching delivery or promoting a new menu? Learn more about our retail and grand opening campaigns and mobile LED billboards, or request a quote.