Inspire foodies in the right way and shopping frequency and basket size increase.
After helping name, design and position Mariano’s as a place to “Shop well. Eat well. Live well,” the European-style grocer faced a critical challenge: early explosive growth had slowed as rapid expansion left new customers confused about what made Mariano’s different. In an over-retailed Chicago market packed with grocery options, uninformed shoppers were treating Mariano’s like just another supermarket—missing the elevated coffee shops, wine bars, sushi stations, and gelato counters that defined the experience.
months as U.S. fastest growing grocery chain
Mariano’s stores outperformed sister brand Pick ’n Save nearly 2-to-1
Facebook fans
A great grocery store nobody knew was great.
Mariano's had built something genuinely different in Chicago — but rapid expansion outpaced consumer understanding. In an over-retailed market, being better wasn't enough if shoppers couldn't feel the difference walking in.
People who get food get it here.
Chicago's foodie pride was already out there — we just gave it a stage. By recruiting 17 of the city's top chefs as living proof of the Mariano's difference, "Tastemakers" turned a grocery store into a cultural destination. When the people who know food best choose where they shop, that's not an ad. That's a endorsement you can't buy.
The Idea
We recruited more than 17 of Chicago’s top chefs—people like Bill Kim, Stephanie Izard, and other James Beard Award winners who genuinely shopped at Mariano’s—to take consumers on virtual shopping trips through the stores. The 360 campaign included print ads showcasing chefs in the aisles, online video content of chefs selecting ingredients, chef-created recipes using Mariano’s products, personal in-store appearances, and co-marketing partnerships with the chefs’ restaurants. Every touchpoint reinforced the same message: if Chicago’s culinary elite shop here, this isn’t your average grocery store.
Teaching people how to shop well.
Beyond the chefs, we filmed local fitness influencers like Shred415 founders creating content that actually taught people how to navigate the stores—showing shoppers where to find the best ingredients, how to build balanced meals, and which unique offerings separated Mariano’s from commodity grocers. This influencer-driven content spread across paid social, in-store displays, email campaigns, and digital advertising, creating a constant drumbeat of real people demonstrating the Mariano’s difference across every channel.
