Grubhub Launches 'Gold Digging Season' to Kick Off Gold Days Event

Grubhub is running its biggest creative push around Gold Days to date, and for the first time the annual promotion has a fully integrated campaign behind it.

Gold Days runs throughout May, offering Grubhub+ members access to over 10,000 deals across restaurant delivery, pickup, Blue Apron meal kits, and Instacart-powered grocery.

It also includes weekly deal drops giving members a new reason to return across the four-week event.

The creative, developed by Anomaly, marks the loyalty program's first major emotional brand platform.

The agency was also behind Grubhub's Yorgos Lanthimos-directed Super Bowl spot starring George Clooney earlier this year.

The campaign runs across TV, digital video, audio, and social, with a consistent call to action encouraging new members to join Grubhub+ for 99 cents a month for six months.

The Creative Concept

The hero film, "Gold Digging Season," was directed by Zach Tavel via Blinkink and follows a character called Gary.

He's an everyday Grubhub+ member whose VIP deals turn him into the most sought-after person on his block.

His neighbors, framed as desperate "gold diggers," show up one by one to try to get in on the benefits.

The campaign's underlying message is that it feels good to have something other people want.

Launika Raykar, Vice President of Loyalty, Partnerships and Marketing at Grubhub, described the campaign's intent in the official press release.

"With 'Gold Digging Season,' we wanted to lean into the playful reality that when you're sitting on $5 million in exclusive deals during our annual savings event, people are going to want in on it," she said.

"This campaign is a fun way to show that a Grubhub+ membership is the ultimate social currency."

Gold Days as a Loyalty Platform

The brand's Gold Days event has evolved quite a bit since Grubhub+ launched in 2020.

This year's event stretches to a full four weeks, up from shorter windows in previous years, and covers a bigger range of ordering occasions.

The weekly deal drop structure gives the campaign fresh social content to publish across channels throughout the month.

The $5 million in total savings across the event is also the program's largest figure to date.

At the same time, the 99-cent introductory offer is designed to bring new members into the program at a low commitment point before the full monthly rate kicks in.

The Grubhub campaign shows how a loyalty program can move from functional communication to brand building without losing the value message:

• Lead with the feeling: The FOMO premise lands the deal message without listing benefits, which holds attention longer in a crowded feed.
• Use a recurring event to build a creative platform: Gold Days gives Grubhub a calendar anchor to invest in each year.
• Match the entry offer to the creative tone: A 99-cent trial fits a campaign built around envy and exclusivity.

Grubhub's decision to run a full-funnel campaign around Gold Days for the first time hints at a bigger ambition for Grubhub+ as a growth driver.

Our Take: Does the "Gold Diggers" Premise Work?

We think it lands well, and featuring Gary was also a good decision for the spot.

Gary is an ordinary Grubhub+ member who ordered takeout and suddenly became the most popular person on his street.

This makes the premise relatable, and it gives the film a good dose of comedic energy.

Four weeks of deal drops also means four weeks of content.

The brand stays in social feeds throughout May, and that publishing rhythm should give the campaign a longer life.

Chili's also recently launched its first-ever Popping Boba Margarita for National Boba Day, combining a trend-driven product with a new digital sticker loyalty mechanic tied to its Marg of the Month Club.

Brands building loyalty programs that drive repeat engagement need agencies that understand how to connect promotional mechanics with creative platforms that hold attention across a full campaign window.

Check out the top loyalty marketing companies in our directory.