Collectibles are all the rage again and they're making a comeback in meals like Cava's 'Hot Harissa Meal,' enticing kidults with a dose of nostalgia and the thrill of childhood. This first-of-its-kind meal box from Cava features a 'Harissa Avocado Bowl,' 'Hot Harissa Pita Chips' and a pita chip plushie on a keychain. In all, there are four plush pita chips to collect, and as part of a blind box-inspired experience, diners won't know which one they've gotten until they open their meal.
“We saw the rise of Labubu and felt that we could be a part of the conversation in a way that was unique and didn’t feel overly gimmicky,” Andy Rebhun, chief marketing and experience officer at Cava, told ADWEEK.
Cava teamed up with Hippy Potter to create the plushie lineup, which includes characters like Peter Chip, who debuted for National Pita Chip Day.
What's Driving This Trend
- Collectible Dining
- This trend merges dining with collectible merchandise, tapping into the nostalgia and thrill that attract 'kidult' consumers.
- Blind Box Experiences
- Dining experiences are increasingly adopting elements from the unboxing trend, offering surprise elements to elevate customer engagement.
- Nostalgic Consumer Engagement
- Brands are leveraging nostalgia to create memorable dining experiences, effectively capturing the imagination of adult consumers who grew up in the collectible era.
Who This Affects Most
- Restaurant and Food Service
- The incorporation of interactive, collectible elements in meals drives brand differentiation in the competitive dining industry.
- Toy and Collectible Merchandise
- Partnerships between food brands and collectible manufacturers present new cross-promotional avenues.
- Marketing and Advertising
- Creative marketing strategies are evolving to include nostalgic and interactive elements to capture diverse consumer demographics.
