IHOP → IHOb → IHOP in ONE Week

Imagine waking up to find your favorite pancake restaurant suddenly had a new name.

That’s exactly what happened in 2018 when IHOP announced it was now IHOb.

No explanation. Just one mysterious letter.

People were confused, curious, and even a little angry.

Was this real? A joke? Why would a pancake brand change its name?

Social media exploded with guesses, and when the truth finally came out, it became one of the most talked-about marketing stunts of the year.

Oh! What did b stood for? And why was this campaign a success?

Let's dig in!

The Big Idea → Campaign

In 2018, IHOP (International House of Pancakes) announced a name change to IHOb but didn’t say what the b stood for. People were confused. Here’s their announcement:

IHOP has been serving pancakes for 60 years. Why would they change their name?

Was it for breakfast? Biscuits? Bacon? Social media exploded with guesses.

Even news outlets like CNN, Forbes, and USA Today covered the mystery.

Finally, after a week of teasing, IHOP revealed the truth: The b stood for burgers.

Of course, IHOP wasn’t actually changing its name forever. The whole point was to get people to notice their burgers, which most customers ignored. Instead of spending millions on ads, they used a simple trick to create curiosity and free publicity.

The Genius Behind It → Campaign Objectives

IHOP had a problem: People only saw them as a breakfast place. But they wanted more people to visit for lunch and dinner, mainly to try their burgers.

They could have just said, “Hey, we sell burgers now.”

But that’s boring. Instead, they used a three-step strategy:

Step 1: Create a Mystery
They announced a name change out of nowhere, which raised curious and excited people to guess. Guesses, jokes, and debates on social media gave IHOP free exposure.

For example:

Step 2: Let Social Media Do the Work
Big brands like Wendy’s, Burger King, and Denny’s made fun of IHOP’s name change. But this actually helped IHOP because every joke kept their campaign in the spotlight. People who had never thought about IHOP’s burgers were now talking about them.

Here’s one by Burger King:

Step 3: Make the Reveal Memorable
When IHOP finally said the b was for burgers, it went viral again. Instead of confusion now, people were curious to try the burgers and see if they were any good. Soon, IHOP’s stores saw a huge jump in burger sales.

The Smart Move

Here’s the best of this campaign: IHOP never actually changed its name. It was just a temporary marketing stunt to get attention. A few weeks later, they tweeted:

“We’re still IHOP, but our burgers are really good too.”

By then, they had already:

• Made people aware of their burgers.

• Gotten millions of free impressions from social media and news.

• It sold 4 times as many burgers than it did before this campaign.

Instead of spending millions on traditional ads, IHOP shared a fun, shareable story. And it worked better than any ad campaign could.

Test Your Marketing IQ 🧠

You know the IHOb campaign was a success but can you spot the deeper marketing lessons behind it? Let’s put your skills to the test!

Conclusion

Here’s what this campaign teaches us about bold, attention-grabbing marketing:

• Use the curiosity gap: Teasing an unexpected change makes people eager to learn more. Don’t just announce. Make them guess.

• Virality > Paid Ads: A clever idea that sparks conversations can outperform a multi-million dollar ad campaign. Create stories people want to share.

• Surprise works, but don’t confuse too much: IHOP walked the fine line between fun and frustration. If a marketing stunt isn’t clear in the end, it can hurt brand trust.

• Never lose your core brand identity: Even if you are launching something new, tie it back to what people already love about you.

Think about your own marketing. Where can you inject curiosity, virality, and surprise without losing your brand’s core identity? Drop your thoughts below!

What’s a bold marketing move you would try?