One wonders what happens to the music stars of the past. While some become judges for music reality television, others hit the state fair touring circuit, and some just fade away. In Brian McKnight’s case, the R&B crooner has taken a gig with Chili’s Grill & Bar as a singing server.

In a campaign from Mischief @ No Fixed Address and Chili’s return to television with its first new spots in three years, McKnight hilariously takes on the persona of Brian Moore, a waiter at Chili’s who comes to the table and asks a couple if they know how the restaurant’s 3 for Me deal works. When the customers ask if he’s Brian McKnight, he says no and then sets out to explain the deal.

The lights then dim, a microphone rises from floor and McKnight sings the instructions of the budget-friendly 3 for Me deal starting at $10.99 in his most romantically soulful voice to the tune of his hit “Back at One.” At the end of the song, he stays in character as Moore, even as he signs an autograph he insists is “a work form.”

“I was thrilled to be able to collaborate with such an iconic brand like Chili’s on this remake of one of my favorite hits—it truly felt like such a natural fit and a no-brainer,” McKnight said in a statement.

How the campaign landed ‘Back at One’

The parallel between McKnight’s hit “Back at One” parallels the 3 for Me deal, since the original song is all about the steps it takes to stay in love. The “3 for Me Remix” alters the lyrics to explain the steps of ordering the menu deal.

“The song is all about steps, much like Chili’s 3 for Me menu. As a foodie with a long-standing love for Chili’s, I was even more excited to dedicate this ‘Back at One’ remix to food,” McKnight said.

While both the song and the meal included steps, Mischief and Chili’s wanted to go beyond simply rewriting song lyrics. It had to be wrapped in a comedic concept. Some of the original ideas didn’t make the final cut. One had Chili’s keeping McKnight in a glass case for emergencies, like when a customer didn’t quite understand how the 3 for Me meal worked. In another, a Chili’s employee training video from the ’90s uncovers that McKnight was hired to explain the 3 for Me meal. Ultimately, the team loved the idea of McKnight working as a waiter but denying who he is, and the more he denies it, the more his actions prove otherwise.

“We shot the spot overnight in a suburban Chili’s in Atlanta. Brian was game for everything; he’s a really good actor. And his voice? He obviously still has great pipes,” said Howard Finkelstein, group creative director at Mischief. “The best moment on set was probably the first time we shot the scene where the extras get in on the gag and hold up one, two and three fingers. The surrounding cast and crew didn’t know it was coming. It cracked everyone up.”

The spot was directed by Vince Peone from ArtClass, who has an extensive background in sketch comedy, which made the crew feel like it was making a sketch rather than an ad.

The chain was able to get McKnight through Chili’s partner Coca-Cola, and Coke is the beverage served to the table as part of the meal.

The creative ties that bind

Chili’s chief marketing officer, George Felix, had worked with Mischief previously, when he was CMO at Tinder and brought the agency on as AOR at that company. Prior to Tinder, Felix had experience in the restaurant industry at Yum Brands, most recently as CMO for Pizza Hut in the U.S. He joined Chili’s in July 2022.

Chili’s works with agency partners on a project basis, which Felix said allows the chain to identify the best partner for the different jobs it needs to get done, but Mischief was the right pick for this campaign.

“We were over the moon when [Felix] rang us and asked if we were able to jump in on an idea to help propel Chili’s back into culture. I’d say it’s been a collaboration at every step with George and the full Chili’s team contributing to the betterment of the idea and execution,” Kerry McKibbin, president and partner at Mischief, told Adweek.

Once Mischief and Chili’s had the concept worked out, they reached out to McKnight, who was a fan of the restaurant and jumped right into the process.

“He was an absolute pleasure to work with, as you can see in his performance. He’s a really just genuinely great guy, naturally funny, and just had a lot of fun with this,” Felix said of McKnight.

Felix hopes the campaign is able to break through with its creative and nostalgic message of value, and he also hopes that success will bring more work with Mischief.

“There’s no better agency out there than Mischief. They’re not only crazy creative, but they’re just great people, and that’s a rare combination,” he said.