Brands
Barbeque Nation launches customer loyalty program, ‘Happiness Club’
MUMBAI: Barbeque Nation, India’s leading casual dining restaurant chain, has announced the launch of its customer loyalty program, ‘Happiness Club’, on the occasion of its 14th anniversary. The program allows diners to accumulate points and avail exciting offers, to make their dining experience at Barbeque Nation, all the more gratifying and enticing.
Called as the ‘Happiness Card’, the program is intended at bringing a smile on the face of guests, with points earned, termed as ‘smiles’ and gift cards christened as Smile Cards, that allow patrons to gift smiles to their loved ones. Barbeque Nation has served over 75 million diners over the last 14 years and is synonymous with DIY grilling on the table – a concept that it pioneered in the country. Starting from its very first outlet in Mumbai in 2006, to the 141st outlet launched recently in Ambala in Haryana, the brand is today a household name in casual dining in India.
Smile is linked to a unique mobile number of the guest and every Smile is equivalent to a rupee. Guests can enroll in the Smile Club by bookings through the app or website only. Patrons can redeem the same by converting the Smiles to a Happiness Cardon the App/Website. ‘Smile’ has been introduced to strengthen the brand’s relationship with its customers and increase repeat visits. It also creates ground for excellent corporate or group offers that Barbeque Nation is extremely popular for.
Barbeque Nation, a major pioneer of ‘DIY’ (do-it-yourself) cuisine with a concept of live on-the-table grill, is the largest casual dining brand in the country. The restaurant offers a pre-fixed menu with a fixed price. The menu ranges from the Mediterranean, American, Oriental, Asian and Indian cuisines. Customers can grill starters in a range of marinades and sauces and enjoy them right off the skewers, at their own tables. Apart from offering a delectable menu, the ambience at the restaurant follows a theme that radiates a contemporary and vibrant atmosphere, with sizzling skewers on tables that double as a live kitchen.
Barbeque Nation Hospitality Ltd president Rahul Agarwal said, “We are extremely pleased to announce the launch of our loyalty program, marking the 14th year of our operations in the country. Barbeque Nation has come a long way in creating several benchmarks in the food and hospitality sector and is today the most preferred casual dining chain in the country. We are thankful to our guests who have showered us with so much love all these years and that’s the reason, we have come up with the special Smile Program. We are all keen to provide incredible dining experiences at our restaurants and continue creating memorable moments for our guests. This program also allows us to build a robust mechanism of digital engagement with our customers and increase active membership.”
Brands
DeVANS sparks buzz with self-chilling beer can April Fools campaign
Godfather stunt racks up 7 million impressions, blending humour with hype
NEW DELHI: DeVANS Modern Breweries has stirred up the marketing pot with a playful yet high-impact campaign teasing a futuristic “self-chilling beer can” under its flagship Godfather label.
What began as a seemingly bold product innovation quickly turned into one of the most talked-about brand moments online, before being revealed as an April Fools’ Day prank. The reveal, however, did little to cool the buzz.
The campaign clocked over 7 million organic impressions across platforms including LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X, with users debating whether the concept was a genuine breakthrough or clever marketing theatre. Thousands of shares and comments turned the idea into a full-blown conversation, drawing in both consumers and industry insiders.
The hook was simple but effective. A self-chilling can positioned as an on-the-go convenience product tapped into the imagination of younger, urban audiences. Add the timing around April Fools’ Day, and the campaign struck the perfect balance between curiosity and scepticism, keeping audiences guessing.
Marketing experts have pointed to the campaign as a case study in leveraging cultural moments. By leaving just enough ambiguity, the brand invited audiences to participate rather than simply observe, turning passive viewers into active contributors to the narrative.
“Godfather has always been an iconic brand, but iconicity must evolve to stay meaningful,” said DeVANS Modern Breweries chairman and managing director Prem Dewan. “The ‘Self-Chilling Can’ was our way of showing up in a cultural moment with confidence and a sense of humour.”
Beyond the numbers, the campaign signals a broader repositioning for Godfather. Long seen as a legacy beer brand, it is now leaning into youth culture, digital-first storytelling and topical engagement to stay relevant in a crowded alcobev market.
In a space where attention is fleeting, DeVANS has shown that sometimes the coolest idea is the one that keeps people guessing.
