Jack in the Box is handing Marvel fans eight reasons to keep returning to the drive-thru.
Starting Nov. 5, the fast-food chain will serve the "Doomsday Dipping Box" at participating restaurants nationwide, through the Jack app and at JackintheBox.com, while supplies last.
The limited-time meal is tied to Marvel Studios' "Avengers: Doomsday," which opens in theaters on Dec. 18, giving the chain roughly six weeks to build interest before screening.
Katelyn Zborowski, the chain’s CMO, described the brand’s approach to fan crossovers in direct terms.
"At Jack in the Box, we don’t just tap into fandoms, we collide them," Zborowski explained.
She called the Doomsday Dipping Box "a larger-than-life expression of what happens when epic fandom meets unmissable food moments."
And with the film set to break records, it's almost impossible for the themed meal not to be a hit.
Inside the Doomsday Dipping Box
The box arrives in film-themed packaging covered in the green associated with Doctor Doom, and it holds a generous spread of the chain’s snacks.
Inside, fans will find:
- Bite-sized Popcorn Chicken
- Two Mozzarella Sticks
- Two of the chain’s tacos
- Seasoned curly fries
- A drink
Three themed sauces are also available for dipping.
These include Assemble Sauce, a new mystery flavor that Jack in the Box has not described, and Mutant Marinara, a limited-time marinara that is returning.
Rounding out the sauce lineup is the Fantastic Buttermilk Ranch, the chain’s classic ranch under a new name.
Popcorn Chicken and Mozzarella Sticks are also coming back to the menu on their own, with the chicken sold in Small and Big Boxes and in a combo meal.
To give Marvel fans a run for their money, each box also includes one of eight blind-bagged magnets inspired by the film, available while supplies last.
The magnets connect like puzzle pieces for fans to link all eight together, and promotional images show pieces featuring Doctor Doom, the Invisible Woman, Gambit, and Thor.
Traffic Recovery Needs a Countdown
Jack in the Box is not the only food chain chasing the same audience.
Dunkin' will begin selling its own Marvel lineup on Nov. 4, with six drinks, a trio of bakery items, and a Doctor Doom Munchkins tin priced at $14.99 with a 25-count purchase.
Both chains are working with the same six-week stretch before the film opens, which means shoppers will see two Doomsday menus competing for attention at roughly the same time.
Jack in the Box has a business reason to want that attention.
Same-store sales fell6.7% in the company’s first fiscal quarter, and the decline narrowed to 1.1% in the third quarter, based on the company’s earnings release.
The chain has pointed to a drop in transactions as the primary factor behind its second-quarter decline, so a meal designed to bring guests back more than once speaks directly to that gap.
The film also hands the chain a large audience.
Variety reported that "Avengers: Doomsday" collected $16.5 million in first-day U.S. advance ticket sales from premium screens alone.
A few lessons stand out for marketers tying a menu to a film release:
- Attach the license to returning items: Popcorn Chicken and Mozzarella Sticks already have a following, so fans get a familiar order with a new reason to try it.
- Make the collectible a full set: Eight connecting magnets in blind bags give guests a reason to buy the box more than once to finish the puzzle.
- Name the menu after the franchise: Titles like Mutant Marinara and Assemble Sauce hand fans a phrase to repeat, and the mystery flavor invites guesses before anyone orders.
A strong December would leave Jack in the Box with a dipping-box format it can reuse for its next brand partnership.
