Many advertisers are using employees in their commercials. Others are sponsoring contests to create commercials. So it should come as no surprise that a restaurant chain is combining those trends.
Carino’s Italian, a chain of casual restaurants, is sponsoring a contest to create commercials that is open to its 4,000 servers and other hourly staff members. The contest began last week and is to run through Feb. 13.
The inspiration for the contest is something that happened to Ryan Bearden, the director of marketing at Carino’s, while he was eating at a Carino’s in Austin, Tex.