Movies

Red Lobster Announces ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ Meal

BBG News

Last summer, it seems like you devised a clever marketing strategy by leveraging corporate collaboration to create a thematic menu in line with an upcoming horror film release! [dramatic music swells]

As a follower, I’m thrilled to be part of the excitement surrounding Sony’s latest release, “I Know What You Did Last Summer“. To add to the cinematic experience, they’ve teamed up with Red Lobster and a local chain in LA for a fitting tie-in: Lobster rolls, inspired by the movie’s vengeful fisherman theme.

According to Bloody Disgusting, they’ve developed a “Dread Lobster” food truck which will visit four undisclosed locations in Los Angeles on July 5th, 6th, 9th, and 12th. To discover the truck’s whereabouts, you can sign up at dreadlobster.com or text “Chain” to (505) 552-4246.

The full I Know What You Did Last Summer “Dread Lobster” menu includes…

  • Fisherman’s Catch Cheddar-Baked Lobster Roll: A terrifyingly delicious spin on the classic lobster roll. Warm cheddar-baked buns are stuffed with fresh lemon-herb lobster salad, seasoned with an Old Bay spice blend, and finished with a Cheddar Bay Biscuit® inspired crumble and crispy shallots.
  • Croaker Queen Chips: Hand-slashed Kennebec potatoes, secret-seasoned and fried in small batches.
  • Crime Lime Summer Soda: A passion fruit and lime soda designed to refresh the palate. One sip and you’ll be hooked.

I really enjoy the fact that so much care has been taken to individually cut these chips and package them, as they’ve been hand-cut since 1997 – the same year the first “I Know What You Did Last Summer” movie was released in cinemas. That’s quite interesting!

1. The best part is, the meal is complimentary as long as supplies are available, if you manage to locate the truck.
2. Moreover, if you present a ticket receipt from the movie “I Know What You Did Last Summer“, you’ll receive some exclusive souvenir with your meal. I only hope it’s not a fishing hook…

I Know What You Did Last Summer opens in theaters on July 18.

A Brief History of Movie Tie-In Food

The Early Days of Tie-In Food

In the 1970s, a strong connection between movies and the food industry truly gained momentum, but there were some earlier instances of cross-promotions. As Discontinued Foods points out, food brands started capitalizing on popular culture trends as early as the era of radio serials.

By the 1960s, breakfast cereals like those from Hanna-Barbera featured cartoon characters such as Yogi Bear on their boxes, a precursor to today’s Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles. Cartoon and comic heroes proved an effective means of attracting children to products, even ones they might have initially disliked. By the 1960s, Allens were selling Popeye Spinach, named after the popular sailor man from comic strips and short films, and inspired by his fondness for leafy greens. The product remains on supermarket shelves today.

“Presented For Your Enjoyment By Howard Johnson’s”

In the early days of movie promotions, when marketers were still figuring out the best approach (specifically turning children’s films into merchandise), there were some awkward combinations. For instance, in 1968, Howard Johnson’s restaurant chain decided to promote Stanley Kubrick’s innovative, psychedelic sci-fi film “2001: A Space Odyssey” with an unusual tactic – a kids’ menu that also served as a comic book! Quite an unexpected move, wasn’t it?

Willy Wonka and the Tie-In Candy Bars

The iconic film “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” wasn’t just a movie that spawned merchandise; rather, it was a production that was entirely conceived and financed due to pre-release promotional tie-ins. The Quaker Oats Company, aiming to introduce a new candy bar in the early 1970s, decided to fund the film after being persuaded by director Mel Stuart and producer David L. Wolper to acquire the rights to Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” adapt it for the screen, and use it as a launchpad for their line of Wonka-branded chocolate bars.

As planned, Quaker renamed the film to “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” to boost sales of their real-world Wonka bars. Unfortunately, there were issues with the original formula of the Wonka candy bars, leading to a recall. However, the Wonka candy line eventually thrived, offering products like Peanut Butter Oompas, which are essentially known as Reese’s Pieces today.

Quaker also leveraged other products for promotions; buying Quaker cereal boxes and sending them away would get you a “Wonka Candy Factory” toy to make your own Wonka bars at home. (I assume encouraging children to melt chocolate on their kitchen stove is safe, right?)

Though Quaker eventually sold the Wonks division, some of its candies continue to be produced today, including Everlasting Gobstoppers, a direct tribute to the book and film.

A Galaxy Far, Far Away…

After the unexpected success of George Lucas’ film “American Graffiti”, he was given the chance to renegotiate the terms for his next project, a daring science-fiction movie titled “Star Wars”. His agent believed that Lucas could increase his pay from $200,000 to $700,000, and also receive a portion of the film’s profits if any were realized.

However, Lucas declined the offer. He wasn’t interested in more money; instead, he proposed to Fox that he would make “Star Wars” for the same amount, if they granted him the rights to all future “Star Wars” sequels and control over all merchandising and licensing related to the franchise.

Fox agreed to this proposal. At the time, movie merchandise and licensing were considered virtually worthless; Hollywood executives referred to the items Lucas wanted in the early 1970s as “garbage rights”.

The studio believed they had saved half a million dollars. Instead, they cost themselves billions – and George Lucas single-handedly transformed the world of movie marketing. He later stated that he took the deal because he desired control, and because he was so concerned that Fox wouldn’t promote “Star Wars” that he thought if he owned the rights to create T-shirts and other merchandise, he could do it himself.

When “Star Wars” became one of the most successful films ever made, his concern almost became moot. However, the deal turned “Star Wars” into a merchandising powerhouse – and one of the first films to partner with restaurants for cross-promotional deals. Although food inspired by “Star Wars” would come later, the original 1977 film had several fast food tie-ins. The Burger Chef chain distributed “Star Wars” posters, while Burger King sold collectible Star Wars glasses, an innovation that became standard practice for blockbuster movies within a few years.

Today, those original “Star Wars” cups are still collected, but care should be taken when using them – it was discovered a few years ago that they contained lead paint. Oops!

The Happy Meal

The significance of marketing to children in the realm of tie-in food throughout history cannot be understated. Most films transformed into edibles have been geared towards a broad audience, with a focus on using those foods to generate interest among children, who subsequently urge their parents to take them to the movie or restaurants offering related merchandise advertised on television. Adult-oriented films seldom receive tie-in menus, even when they’d be thematically fitting (such as a 9 1/2 Weeks menu).

From its inception, McDonald’s innovative Happy Meal has been associated with movies. Following several years of experimentation and improvement in the 1970s, McDonald’s introduced the concept nationwide in 1979. One of the earliest themed Happy Meals was for Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

If you’ve watched this movie, you know it isn’t a typical kids’ film. (Unless you were a child who found slow-paced sci-fi movies about astronauts exploring space clouds enjoyable.) However, the Star Trek brand was popular in the late 1970s due to syndicated reruns and an animated series. With a high-budget film in theaters, it provided an ideal subject for the Happy Meal.

The original Star Trek Happy Meal included comics, games, and a plastic communicator toy. No themed food was included at that time; that came later. But the success of the Star Trek Happy Meal paved the way for a lasting connection between films and fast food for decades to come.

Part a Complete Breakfast

In the era of the “Star Wars” sequels, the franchise had transformed into a money-making machine for every business that held its license. Consequently, numerous tie-ins emerged, and around the launch of “Return of the Jedi” in 1983, food products inspired by the films began to gain popularity – although one might argue that the term “inspired” is a stretch in this context. For instance, C-3PO’s breakfast cereal, which bore only a nominal resemblance to “Star Wars,” was primarily characterized by its name and the image of the droid on the packaging. The cereal itself, with its “twin rings phased together for two crunches in every double-O!” description, had no connection to the Force or the Empire; they essentially looked like two Cheerios merged together. Notably, after Kellogg’s lost the “Star Wars” license, they rebranded the cereal as sports-themed “Pro-Grain.”

Today, C-3PO’s are primarily recognized for the appealing “Star Wars” masks that were printed on the backs of the boxes. These masks allowed kids to cut them out and dress up as their favorite characters, which helped boost sales and further strengthened the link between “Star Wars” and the food industry.

Cooler Heads Prevail

In the 1980s, most movie-related merchandise appeared around a film’s release and then declined. However, Ecto Cooler, a brightly colored citrus drink by Hi-C, themed to the Ghostbusters movie and cartoon series, was an unusual exception. Although the original Ghostbusters movies ended in 1989, and the cartoon show was canceled in 1991, Hi-C continued selling Ecto Cooler throughout the 1990s. Whenever the Ghostbusters film franchise was revived, so did Ecto Cooler. The bottles were highly sought after, sometimes fetching high prices on the secondary market. At this point, Ecto Cooler has become an integral part of the Ghostbusters mythos, and for many ’90s kids, it’s an indelible part of their childhood memories, whether they were Ghostbusters fans or not.

Fast Food Gets Dino-Sized

In the 1980s, films influenced a variety of cereals and other food items such as Ecto Coolers, but their presence at fast-food restaurants was mainly limited to promotional items like Happy Meal toys or collector cups. However, in the 1990s, things took a significant turn when fast-food chains started signing major promotional deals with studios and introduced more elaborate tie-ins that film enthusiasts could enjoy rather than just collect.

One of the earliest examples of this new generation of tie-ins was in 1993, when McDonald’s launched the “Jurassic Park Meal” to coincide with the year’s biggest box office hit. The novelty here was that customers could opt for a larger size for their drink, fries, or even their burger, transforming them into a Jurassic Park triple cheeseburger.

The Super Hero Burger

The meal served at Jurassic Park featured branded movie foods, though they were essentially larger variations of standard menu items. This concept soon progressed to its next stage: Innovative foods tied to blockbuster films.

In the year 1995, McDonald’s collaborated with Warner Bros. to publicize the release of Batman Forever. Alongside the mentioned commemorative glasses, the fast-food chain launched a limited-edition “Super Hero Burger.” This was essentially a triple cheeseburger presented on a hero roll instead of a conventional bun, hence dubbed a superhero burger.

To bridge the gap between commerce and cinema trailers even more, Batman Forever included a scene where Val Kilmer’s Batman commented that he would “get drive thru” after his night of crime fighting. McDonald’s utilized this clip in their Super Hero Burger advertisements, and enlisted trailer voice artist Don LaFontaine to narrate the commercials. (“The great taste of two cheeses melted over three beef patties” never sounded as urgent as it did when LaFontaine said it.)

The Volcano Burrito

In the 1990s, McDonald’s wasn’t the only fast-food chain that ventured into film promotion. Taco Bell also heavily invested in promoting several blockbusters through their commercials and menus. While McDonald’s was promoting Batman Forever, Taco Bell backed Congo, a movie reminiscent of Jurassic Park, based on another book by Michael Crichton.

Though Congo the movie didn’t meet its box office expectations, the Volcano Burrito, launched to cross-promote it, has been reintroduced numerous times by Taco Bell since then. This spicy dish, with seasoned beef, beans, rice, a blend of three cheeses, and flowing with fiery red sauce, continues to receive fond remembrances from fans. Interestingly, the climax of Congo involves the characters escaping an erupting volcano, which is thematically fitting for this spicy dish, despite the fact that it’s not actually a volcano made of affordable Mexican cuisine. (Just to clarify, it spews lava, not food.) However, the concept still worked well in this context.

There’s Pineapple Shrimp, Lemon Shrimp, Coconut Shrimp, Pepper Shrimp, Shrimp Soup, Shrimp Stew, Shrimp Salad, Shrimp and Potatoes, Shrimp Burger, Shrimp Sandwich…

In the mid-1990s, film enthusiasts could regularly purchase food items inspired by their beloved movies, including Batman Forever. However, a restaurant themed around a single movie was yet to emerge. That changed in 1996 with the introduction of the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, modeled after the critically acclaimed 1994 Oscar winner Forrest Gump. In the film, Forrest and his war buddy Lieutenant Dan establish a shrimping business named “Bubba Gump”; in reality, an entrepreneur aiming to boost his struggling frozen seafood business obtained the rights to the “Bubba Gump” name from Paramount Pictures.

When Bubba Gump frozen food became successful, it paved the way for a Bubba Gump restaurant – and many more followed suit. Today, 30 years after the first (and last) Forrest Gump movie graced our cinemas, the Bubba Gump chain remains remarkably resilient, boasting numerous locations across the globe.

Small Soldiers, Big Burgers

Reflecting on the history of product tie-ins, it’s astonishing to find that numerous enduring fast food items, such as the ones we consume today, initially emerged as promotional stunts for movies that have long been relegated to obscurity.

For instance, the 1998 animated film “Small Soldiers,” which was a box office failure and is now barely recalled by anyone except Joe Dante’s dedicated fanbase (and I count myself among them), served as the inspiration for Burger King’s Rodeo Cheeseburger. This burger, featuring cheese, onion rings, and Bull’s-Eye Barbecue sauce, is still a menu item at your local Burger King despite some modifications over time – it no longer includes cheese, and the sauce is now unbranded, but you can still order one if you visit your nearest BK right now.

Marvelous Fast Food Menus

In the 21st century, as blockbuster movies grew in size, so did the associated food offerings at restaurants. Chains started offering numerous items, even entire temporary menus, to sync with major films. If larger means better in cinemas, why shouldn’t the same idea hold true for dining establishments?

One of the earliest noteworthy instances is Baskin-Robbins, who launched several flavors linked to the 2003 film “X2.” The ice cream chain introduced an “X-Mint” and an “X-Treme Berry Sherbet,” along with sundaes inspired by Storm and Wolverine. The “Berry Rampage Sundae” featured “X-Treme Berry Sherbet with strawberry topping, whipped cream, Wild Berry Wonka Nerds, and a Blue Raspberry Sour Punch Straw ‘X.'”

Despite my doubts about Hugh Jackman consuming massive amounts of whipped cream and Sour Punch Straws while maintaining his superhero physique, I must admit that the candy “X” on top is an appealing detail. However, I highly doubt Wolverine would approve of any food named after him that included “Nerds.”

Okay, This One Isn’t Really All That Historic, But Just Look at That Picture. How Could I Not Include This?

Back in 2011, Dunkin’ Donuts came up with some patriotic-themed desserts for the movie “Captain America: The First Avenger.” These weren’t exactly revolutionary, but when I stumbled upon this image of the “First Avenger Tri-Cup” filled with three flavors of Coolatta (cherry, vanilla bean, and blue raspberry), I was instantly captivated. It was so intriguing that I just had to share it with everyone.
Now you’ve seen it too. Enjoy!

Theme Parks Get Tied Up With Tie-Ins

In the realm of movie-themed food during the 2010s, a significant shift occurred from foods merely inspired by films to edibles directly derived from them. Although one could argue that serving Popeye Spinach fifty years ago was no different, the change was most noticeable at theme parks. Disney’s Mickey Mouse-shaped ice cream bars were a longstanding tradition, but Universal Studios truly paved the way with their “Wizarding World of Harry Potter.”

This immersive world, launched in 2010 at their Islands of Adventure park in Orlando, replicated key aspects of the Harry Potter films with remarkable detail. A crucial part of this immersion involved catering to guests by offering foods and drinks featured in the movies – most notably, the beloved butterbeer.

Universal’s butterbeer, a carbonated beverage served in taverns in both the books and films, was an instant hit. To meet the demand, they introduced various versions: not just regular butterbeer but hot butterbeer, frozen butterbeer, butterbeer ice cream, butterbeer fudge, and even butterbeer potted cream. (Butterbeer potted cream? The true enchantment lies in avoiding health complications by the age of 30 while indulging in such a diet.)

The Tie-Ins Get Weirder, and the Internet Notices

Over the past decade, the connection between movies and food products has become increasingly elaborate, featuring colors and tastes not typically found in nature. The “Darth Vader” burger, tied to the 3D re-release of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace in 2012, was one of the first to gain significant attention. This eerie burger could be found at the French restaurant Quick, but American chains quickly caught on to the buzz it generated online and began creating their own over-the-top movie-inspired food items.

The primary reason for these unusual collaborations is to capture public interest. These movies aren’t aiming for culinary accolades like the James Beard Awards; they want viewers. If that means associating with a burger that resembles the Grim Reaper, so be it.

Chain restaurants also follow this trend. Even if you don’t fancy eating a black burger, you might share an image of it with someone daring enough to try it (like me) and then join them for photos when they do.

One Theme Menu to Rule Them All

It appears that a strategy reminiscent of the idea – “if we create food so unusual they trend online, it’s irrelevant whether people consume them or not” – seemed to drive the succession of extravagant theme menus introduced by Denny’s in the 2010s. Denny’s, now recognized as America’s top restaurant for movie tie-in food, implemented this strategy effectively.

In 2012, Denny’s unveiled a menu inspired by Peter Jackson’s first “The Hobbit” film. This menu showcased unusual dishes such as the “Lonely Mountain Treasure” (a toast service with cream cheese icing for dipping and seed cake), the “Lone-Lands Campfire Cookie Milk Shake” (a vanilla milkshake with s’mores cookie pieces), and “Radagast’s Red Velvet Pancake Pippies” (without further comment).

The menu was well-received, leading Denny’s to repeat this formula – “major Hollywood movie + large menu of seemingly dared-up food creations” – multiple times throughout the decade.

Another Picture Too Deranged Not to Include

In the late 1960s, Baskin-Robbins introduced a unique ice cream flavor called “Lunar Cheesecake” as a tribute to current events, specifically the Apollo 11 moon landing. The flavor was green and white, reminiscent of an old myth that claimed the moon was made of cheese. However, interest in the moon waned, and the flavor was retired.

Fast-forward to 2012, when Baskin-Robbins reintroduced the Lunar Cheesecake as a tie-in with the movie “Men In Black 3.” Interestingly, the film incorporated the Apollo 11 mission into its plot. Since then, the flavor has resurfaced occasionally on special occasions at Baskin-Robbins stores. I find it amusing to imagine people saying, “Yes, I do want to eat the strangely green dessert that looks like an alien’s offering.

Actually, Make That Two Theme Menus…

When Peter Jackson released a follow-up to “The Hobbit” movie, Denny’s followed suit with their own sequel to the “Hobbit” menu. Just like typical Hollywood sequels, this new menu was bigger and more extravagant than its predecessor.

The “The Desolation of Smaug” menu at Denny’s introduced a whopping eight brand-new dishes such as the “Smaug’s Fire Burger”, which consisted of a beef patty on a grilled Cheddar bun with their special X-sauce, Jalapeno Bottle Caps, melted Pepper Jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onions, and pickles. There was also “Bilbo’s Breakfast Feast”, which included a slice of honey cake French toast drizzled with honey, two eggs scrambled with Cheddar cheese, fresh spinach, mushrooms, a breakfast sausage, and crispy hash browns. The “Hobbit Hole Breakfast” was another option, but I won’t bore you with the details because I just had lunch. Diners were also given the opportunity to create their own “Hobbit Slam”, although it might have been considered illicit if done in Middle Earth. At Denny’s, anything goes!

The outrageous indulgence of the “Smaug” menu sparked a frenzy online, with journalists raving about the food and even visiting Denny’s to try it for themselves (who would do such a thing?). Interestingly, despite continuing to create theme menus, Denny’s opted not to produce one for the final “Hobbit” film, “The Battle of the Five Armies”. Perhaps they knew that no meal could surpass the legendary “Hobbit Hole Breakfast”.

The Galaxy’s (Cutting Culinary) Edge

In a remarkable evolution of themed experiences, Universal’s Wizarding World introduced tourists to movies through food, but Disney elevated immersion into theme with their Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. These themed lands don’t just offer iconic Star Wars movie items, such as the dairy-free blue milk served for breakfast at Luke Skywalker’s childhood home (it has a fruity smoothie taste), but they exclusively serve foods and drinks that align with the Star Wars universe, featuring unique creations like the “Ronto wrap” (a fusion of hot dog and gyro) and “moof juice” (a mix of fruit punch, pineapple-orange juice, and chipotle-pineapple). Even the Coca-Cola drinks in Galaxy’s Edge are Star Wars themed, sold in containers resembling thermal detonators.

Disney took the idea of immersing visitors into a movie universe to new heights with their Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge attractions at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Instead of just serving famous Star Wars foods like Luke Skywalker’s breakfast blue milk, they offer unique dishes that fit the galaxy, such as the Ronto wrap and moof juice, and even sell Coca-Cola in containers shaped like thermal detonators.

Scrumdiddlyumptious

Over the past few years, Denny’s has lost its crown as the pioneer in movie-themed food collaborations to IHOP. IHOP has created extravagant and eccentric menus for a variety of films, from “The Grinch” (green pancakes!) to “The Addams Family” (purple hot chocolate!) to “Wonka” (purple pancakes!). If you can pair a movie with an unusual color on a breakfast dish, IHOP will surely follow suit. Given that “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” was one of the first examples of this marketing strategy, it’s fitting that IHOP chose this classic as a subject for their promotions. As we can see in both publicity and pop culture, the old often becomes new again.

The Future…?

For years, movie theaters have been serving largely the same menu items with little variation or innovation. However, in an attempt to boost profits in the face of competition from streaming services and the internet, these theaters have started venturing into tie-in foods. Chains that offer in-theater dining often create unique dishes for popular movies, such as Alamo Drafthouse’s Spider-Man “Green Goblin” Pizza and Ninja Turtles flavored popcorn. Even traditional multiplexes have joined the trend, with AMC offering special movie-themed Icee flavors like a black slushie for The Addams Family, which was met with both online ridicule and late-night television mockery. These tie-ins continue to grow in absurdity, as evidenced by the high prices at which Dune-themed popcorn buckets sold on eBay. It seems that as long as people continue to go to movies, moviegoers will want food inspired by their favorite films, and those selling the films will be more than willing to oblige.

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2025-07-01 20:29

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