Chicken Shop Date: From a niche YouTube series to global sensation in just 1 year
Winning The Drum Awards for Content in the Entertainment category was Dimz Inc's Chicken Shop Date, a series that has transformed the celebrity interview. Here is the award-winning case study.
Chicken Shop Date, the ground-breaking YouTube series created and hosted by Amelia Dimoldenberg, has transformed the celebrity interview. Using her deadpan wit and affectionately awkward charm, Dimoldenberg has created unforgettable and iconic moments in your local chicken shop that peel back the shiny exterior of our favourite stars. Dimoldenberg has successfully created, built and executed the antithesis of the traditional celebrity ‘talk show’ interview, which has cemented the format as a pivotal and strategic part of any major talents’ promo run.
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Over the past year, Dimoldenberg and her team (Dimz Inc.) embarked on a strategic campaign aimed at solidifying their position in the entertainment industry and pop culture at large. Through a combination of global, talent diversification and fresh marketing strategies, the team has achieved notable subscriber and follower growth, an increase in reach and views, and significant cultural impact, including prolific media coverage from publications including The New York Times, British Vogue, British GQ, The Hollywood Reporter, Vanity Fair, The Guardian, The Washington Post and many more. Audiences are hooked, following Dimoldenberg on her journey to true love, one chicken nugget and famous face at a time.
Our strategy
Talent is the cornerstone of our strategy, meticulously considered and curated by our Executive Producers. Every year, our goal is to create cultural moments with the format by selecting talent that resonates with our audience. This year, we refreshed our strategy by focusing on tapping into three main elements of culture: Hollywood, with stars like Paul Mescal; sports, focusing on F1 with Lando Norris; and major moments, such as releasing an episode in tandem with Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine with both Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. Originally, Disney requested Ryan Reynolds as a solo guest, however recognising the immense impact the film was likely to have, we successfully secured Hugh Jackman’s involvement as well.
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Execution
From Aug 23 to 24 we have produced 15 high-profile episodes featuring mainstream and globally recognised talent such as Cher, Billie Eilish, SZA, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. Each of these episodes were strategically released to coincide with key events or moments in pop culture, in order to maximise viewership. Chicken Shop Date as a format breaks away from the mould of a traditional interview, meaning that we are now not only a bespoke stop on a celebrity’s publicity trip but a necessary staple.
Alongside the episodes, we started producing more TikTok native content and sharing glimpses behind-the-scenes. This approach became a part of our strictly organic-only rollout plan and aimed to provide a more intimate look at the show to enhance viewer connection and loyalty.
We also continued to utilise analytical tools to track viewer behaviour, engagement metrics and content performance. This data informed our content strategy and we implemented small tweaks, such as posting shorter clips, to optimise our content performance and ultimately drive more views and engagement.
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The results
Between August 2023 and August 2024, we have:
- Reached over 400m accounts and achieved over 52m content interactions across Instagram and TikTok alone.
- Hit 180m video views on YouTube
- Achieved nearly 300 pieces of organic media coverage
- Gained 1.6m followers and subscribers across our social platforms
Outside of measurable metrics, we’ve also seen a significant cultural impact as the show has resonated with audiences and influenced pop culture. From the viral Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman announcement (3m+ likes) to the flirty Billie Eilish interview clips dominating TikTok, Chicken Shop Date is now widely recognised in popular media and the brand has a really strong cultural relevance and appeal to audiences between the ages of 18-34.
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Conclusion
Our strategic approach over the past 12 months helped propel Chicken Shop Date to new heights in the entertainment industry. By diversifying our talent roster, enhancing our digital presence and leveraging social media, we not only met but exceeded our objectives, establishing Chicken Shop Date as a leading entertainment brand with personality.
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