Wow, we couldn't be prouder to win Ad Age BRAND OF THE YEAR! Congrats to our world-class Chili's Marketing team (hat tip to CMO George Felix and VP Jesse Johnson) and the Guests who keep coming back! 🌶️🔥
"This was the goal." —Jesse Johnson, VP of Marketing at Chili's. Two years ago, Chili's set its sights on winning Ad Age's Brand of the Year award. On Wednesday, that goal became a reality. In a year when most restaurants struggled, Chili’s stood out—boosting awareness, sales and customer enthusiasm through viral marketing and irresistible deals. “They owned 2024,” said one Creativity judge. Another called it “the comeback of all comebacks.” The turnaround began in 2022, when Chili’s brought in CMO George Felix and tapped a new agency lineup: Mischief @ No Fixed Address, Gale, Edelman and JM&D. This spring, Chili’s shows no signs of slowing down.