C-store leader Wawa is bringing its 1960s-inspired Hoagiefest campaign full circle by hosting its Philadelphia Hoagiefest, a festival paying tribute to the all-mighty hoagie and celebrating a summer of peace, savings and Shortis.
On July 16 at 11 a.m. at the Wawa on 12301 Academy Road in Philadelphia, hoagie fanatics from across Philadelphia will join to celebrate their love of Wawa’s hoagies.
Attendees can dance to original Hoagiefest songs along with tie-dye-wearing Wawa associates and can tour a “Peace, Love and Provolone” exhibit featuring 1960s imagery and photos of famous hoagie moments in history.
Wawa’s Hoagiefest kicks off with a proclamation officially designating July 16 as “Hoagie Heritage Day,” followed by an “Ode to the Hoagie” from Wawa President and CEO Howard Stoeckel.
The festivities will usher in a series of hoagie and ’60s-inspired contests, giveaways and activities celebrating the great hoagie tradition, including:
“At Wawa, our customers revere and treasure their hoagies, often ordering their favorite over and over again,” Stoeckel said. “We sell almost 70 million hoagies annually, and our Hoagiefest event will help us celebrate one of the most beloved food items we have at Wawa.”
Wawa is partnering with WMMR 93.3 FM to bring this celebration to all of the hoagie fanatics in Philadelphia. WMMR DJs will select Hoagiefest contestants through a series of pre-event on-air hoagie contests testing their passion and love of hoagies. At the event’s conclusion, Wawa associates will serve to the crowd a 93.3-foot-long hoagie – the length of WMMR’s frequency.
Hoagiefest is a harmonious campaign celebrating the almighty hoagie with special price promotions and events carried on throughout the summer. Beginning June 9, a different Wawa Shorti will be featured every two weeks for just $2.99.
To bring the love and serenity imbued in every hoagie bite to all of its loyal customers, Wawa has created its first ever microsite completely dedicated to Hoagiefest. Customers can now enter into an interactive hoagie world and experience all the peace, love and provolone anyone could ever want by logging onto Wawa.com and then clicking directly on Hoagiefest.com.
Hoagiefest runs through Aug. 3 in all of Wawa’s 570 stores throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.
Think you’ve journeyed back to the psychedelic 1960s? You’ve actually entered Hoagiefest.com, an online spectacle filled with the colors, songs and images of the 1960s hippie culture that uniquely come together to celebrate the spirit of the hoagie. With the click of a mouse customers can learn about the Hoagiefest campaign and experience a host of interactive, fun features of the site such as:
“Hoagiefest is all about paying tribute to the mouthwatering hoagies we’ve come to love,” Stoeckel said. “Wawa is thrilled to not only bring our customers this incredible value, but also to share it with everyone in a way that is as fun and interactive as actually eating a hoagie. Hoagiefest.com brings our commitment to delighting the customer to life, expressing the love we feel for our customers and our hoagies.”
In addition to promoting the campaign through Hoagiefest.com, Wawa will feature Hoagiefest billboards, banners, truck wraps and radio ads. Wawa associates will also join in the spirit as well, proudly wearing tie-dyed t-shirts throughout the eight-week campaign.
Based in Wawa, Penn., Wawa operates more than 570 stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.