Chili's Baby Back Ribs Jingle Gets a Lizzo Remix After 30 Years

Chili's found a brand spokesperson who also happens to be a self-described superfan.

The casual dining chain partnered with four-time Grammy Award-winning artist Lizzo to reimagine its iconic Baby Back Ribs jingle.

The collaboration includes a full remix co-written and co-produced by Lizzo and an a cappella rendition of the original.

"Weekends at Chili's were a huge part of my childhood, and I've stayed a fan," the artist said.

"So when they reached out about collaborating, I couldn't say yes fast enough."

The campaign comes on the heels of a real product upgrade.

Chili's recently revamped its Baby Back Ribs to include meatier, full- or half-rack portions with up to 50% more ribs, finished with a new caramelized barbecue sauce crust.

The brand reports that rib orders have climbed since the menu change, which gave the marketing team a concrete story to build on.

Chili's CMO George Felix believes the true challenge of the campaign lies in making sure it respects what the jingle already means to people.

"With a jingle that has lived in pop culture for decades — in movies, on TV, and in people's heads — we knew the refresh had to do it justice," Felix said.

"Lizzo nailed it by bringing something familiar and beloved into the moment with her signature creativity and energy."

Choosing Lizzo is a textbook example of celebrity marketing with a person who genuinely aligns with the brand.

She came into the project as a star and as an actual customer, a distinction that tends to read differently on screen.

The Rib Flute Makes Its Debut

The music video contains shot-for-shot references to the original commercial that first lodged "I want my baby back, baby back…" in American consciousness.

Lizzo then pulls out a custom flute designed to look exactly like a Baby Back Rib, a direct nod to her background as a classically trained flutist.

She follows with an all-new verse that plays with what "baby back, baby back" can mean. 

My Chili's Rewards members can also enter a giveaway for a limited-edition T-shirt signed by Lizzo and a gift card.

Lizzo recently released the title track to her forthcoming album, dropping June 5.

Chili's campaign arrives alongside the organic wave of artist attention building toward the release.

A Jingle That's Become Part of Pop Culture

The Baby Back Ribs Jingle is one of the most enduring pieces of restaurant marketing in American pop culture.

It dates back to 1996, when it first aired as part of a Chili's television campaign.

Since then, the jingle been referenced in films, TV shows, and online conversations, outlasting brand identities that came and went. 

Here are some takeaways for marketers watching this campaign unfold:

• Start with the fan: Lizzo's history with Chili's gave the partnership a legitimacy that a purely transactional deal rarely produces.
• Connect campaigns to real product news: The ribs upgrade gave the campaign a reason to exist beyond just nostalgia.
• Loyalty activations increase shelf life: The My Chili's Rewards giveaway keeps the campaign alive even past the music video hype.

A brand's strongest marketing asset is often something it already owns. In Chili's case, it's a jingle that's lived in people's heads for decades.

Our Take: When is a Jingle Worth Bringing Back? 

The Baby Back Ribs jingle is one of the few pieces of restaurant marketing that genuinely functions as cultural IP, and Chili's treated it accordingly.

A jingle is worth bringing back when the brand has the product story and the right collaborator to justify it, and this one had both.

The rib upgrade gave the campaign a commercial reason to exist, and Lizzo gave it an emotional entry point that a hired spokesperson never could.

The shot-for-shot references, the a cappella version, and the rewards contest all signal that Chili's knows how to use its iconic brand assets.

Lizzo's involvement makes the whole thing feel current without forcing it.

Recently, Liquid I.V. also launched a music-led campaign starring the British girl group FLO to push its "Hydration Multiplier Sugar-Free Ring Pop Cherry."

Creative partnerships that use music to sell products work best when the artist's identity and the brand's story share the same cultural ground.

These top agencies help companies apply timeless storytelling with modern experiences.