by Miranda G. McLeod
Staff Writer
For the fourth time in three years, the Krystal Co., maker of those little burgers, is shooting its “man on the street” commercials in Jacksonville. This time, however, the company is looking for young, hungry business executives to pitch the Krystal’s breakfast scrambler.
“It’s like a breakfast buffet in a bowl,” said Alan Varnson, president of the Varnson Group, an Atlanta-based advertising agency.
Jacksonville resident Dena Rasul was the first one in front of the camera at Hemming Plaza Thursday morning. She says she stops by Krystal every morning.
“I’ve been doing it for years. My friends say I should have stock in Krystal,” said Rasul.
Rasul stood in front of the camera for more than thirty minutes telling her Krystal breakfast story.
Dave Marino doesn’t really know his title, but he’s the guy who makes the actors talk. On set, actors look into the camera while Marino, inside a trailer a two hundred feet away asks questions about their stories.
“We watch the people on camera, get their lines and stories. We take back the footage, sit as a team and cut it up, making a commercial,” said Michael Williams, vice president of marketing for the Krystal Co. “We will interview about 70 people, pick a few to follow through the story and make a behind-the-scenes commercial.”
“We follow them through a day and they narrate a mini-movie of their passion for the brand,” said Varnson.
Varnson says Krystal has been outpacing the entire fast food category.
“We think it’s because we let the customers do the talking. The basic principle is that customers own the brand. We could never write copy more true than they can say on their own,” he said. “It started in Atlanta three years ago and it was really a roll of dice. We didn’t know how it would go. Now, it’s like shooting fish in a barrel.”
The commercials may be running March or April, said Williams.
“We’ve been through Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville. We’re back in Jacksonville because it’s one of the top — that’s why we’ve been here many times,” said Williams. “Jacksonville has a lot of Krystal lovers here.”