Social Rocket
Applebee’s is building on the success of its O-M-Cheese burger into a larger marketing and product platform. The burger launched in early 2026 and, according to Dine Brands, became the most-ordered burger on the “2 for $25” platform within a few months. Particularly striking are the social figures reported by the company: more than 9 billion impressions and 96 million people reached on social media.
Marketing Dive also reports that content around the burger generated almost 80 times more organic views than typical campaigns. The figures come from company statements and have not been independently audited. Nevertheless, the case is interesting for marketers because Applebee’s does not treat the viral attention as a one-off hit, but translates it into new products and further campaigns.
From one burger to a platform
The O-M-Cheese burger launched in January 2026 for 11,99 US dollars and was positioned around Valentine’s Day as an affordable date-night offer. Dine Brands CEO John Peyton explained on the Q1 earnings call that the launch contributed to the highest single sales day in Applebee’s history.
Instead of letting the moment fade, Applebee’s has since expanded the concept. On 31 August 2026, the chain officially introduced the O-M-Cheese-adilla Burger: a variant of the quesadilla burger, also served in a pan with queso and melted cheese. O-M-Cheese Chicken Nachos are also part of the lineup.
This turns a single product idea into a recognizable system. The core remains constant – excessive cheese, visible “cheese pulls” and a clear price anchor – while the specific product can change.
Why it works on social media
Applebee’s combines several mechanics that suit social content well. The product is instantly understandable visually, the preparation creates short, eye-catching moving images, and the price can be communicated without much explanation. At the same time, the brand gives users enough material for their own reactions, reviews and food content.
Crucially, it is not only the volume of content that matters. Applebee’s tightly couples product, price and cultural occasion. It is precisely this connection that distinguishes the case from a classic “we post more often” approach.
A similar pattern was recently seen with Starbucks and its social-first campaign around the Pumpkin Spice Latte: a well-known product is not just advertised but staged as a recurring social moment.
Brand partners instead of arbitrary celebrity use
For the next O-M-Cheese phase, Applebee’s is working with, among others, former NFL player Marshawn Lynch. According to CMO Michelle Chin, he was chosen not only for his fame but for his personal connection to the brand.
For social campaigns, this is an important difference. Reach alone does not make a partnership credible. The better product, partner and story fit together, the easier it is to build content that does not feel like an interchangeable sponsored post.
Other brands are also increasingly shifting their campaigns in this direction. Chipotle, for example, had 2026 100 creator material produced for “Behind the Foil”, while Cadbury has built its US campaign as an ongoing social series.
What marketers can take from the Applebee’s case
The most important point is not that brands should now build as exaggerated products as possible. More interesting is the structure behind the success: a clearly recognizable product hook creates social material, social reactions deliver demand signals, and successful signals are then transferred into new products and campaigns.
This makes social media not only a distribution channel but partly a testing ground for product and brand decisions.
For German brands, the Applebee’s case is therefore especially interesting as a process: a viral moment is more valuable when it can then be translated into a repeatable system – rather than simply disappearing after a few million views.