Attract.
Made the brand famous. TV, radio, broad-reach outdoor, direct mail and newspaper put an unfamiliar brand into everyday life, awareness that made every new opening land warm.
Case study · Food & franchise
Launching an icon: 5 restaurants to 1,400.
Founder track record: The Design Agency, with TRIO co-founder David Turner as MD/Owner and account lead, was appointed to launch Subway® in the UK and Ireland and held National Agency Partner status for 8 years.
5 → 1,400+
Restaurants across the UK & Ireland over the partnership
8 yrs
As National Agency Partner, developing the franchise and B2C business
150
Franchise partners recruited
The challenge.
Subway arrived in the UK and Ireland as a challenger with five restaurants and a product most consumers had never tried. Growth had to work twice over: build consumer demand, and give prospective franchisees the confidence to invest.
That meant national-scale brand building and street-level shop marketing, running at the same time, for years.
Imagery: Subway® UK & Ireland.
The approach
Four stages. A franchise flywheel.
Engage.
Built the craving. Campaigns like SubMelts® and ‘eat fresh’ gave people reasons to keep coming back: new news, new products, one consistent brand.
Convert.
Priced the first visit. Sub of the Day at £1.99 turned curiosity into queues: a simple, unmissable offer backed by point-of-sale and local store marketing.
Grow.
Scaled with the estate. As demand grew, so did franchisee confidence: from 5 restaurants to over 1,400 nationally across an 8-year partnership.
Your brand could be the next story.
Whether it’s a revival, a relaunch or growth from a standing start, it begins with one honest conversation.