Yesterday I was vaguely dismissive of the connection between Denny's and The Hobbit. Today I sort of get it, I think, and I'm enjoying it. Sure. Eat hearty, denizens of Middle Earth.
Every single news outlet I was paying attention to picked the story up yesterday or today.
I think it shows people are amused by saying “Smaug’s Delight” as often as possible. But I think maybe there’s some hard-to-express appropriateness to pairing Tolkien’s greedy little eaters with a diner that never quits filling your coffee until you finally say, “That’s going to do it for me, no more coffee, please, thanks.”
It’s giving people a way to play around with the brand a little (just listen to NPR’s anchor folk in the link under “the story” up there). And some good will. Fans will likely stop in, eat, eat, eat, and talk non-stop about the hermetic little world of the novel.
What more could you ask of a promotion?
UPDATE: Go read this Huffpost review. It’s totally an example of how an enthusiast or fan who appears unbiased but excited can create demand. This “Grub Grade” writer makes me want to go eat a Gandalf’s Gobble Melt or something.
