White Castle is doubling down on cravings. America’s first fast food hamburger chain is expanding its “Crave Thy Castle” brand platform with two new spots, “News Caster” and “Order Up,” developed in partnership with creative AOR GSD&M. The campaign marks the next phase of the platform that debuted earlier this year and reinforces White Castle’s push to position its Sliders as the only true cure for a craving.
At the center of the campaign is the now familiar “Castle Craving” knight, a witty, tongue-in-cheek embodiment of the White Castle superfan who appears whenever the urge strikes. The character serves as both instigator and guide, steering fans toward classic, steamy Sliders.
The new work includes two 30-second spots with 15 cutdowns designed to reach both loyal customers and what the brand calls the “Crave Curious,” Gen Z consumers seeking bold flavors, shareable moments, and brands that feel culturally in on the joke.
In “News Caster,” a field journalist prepares for a live broadcast when she is interrupted by the mischievous Craving knight, who launches into a jingle celebrating “classic, cheesy, steamy sliders.” Unable to resist, she takes a bite and, moments later, delivers her report, infused with undeniable craving energy. The spot closes with the line, “This just in…craving is good.” Watch below:
“Order Up” takes place at the drive-thru, where a hesitant customer is nudged by his shotgun-riding knight to go big on Sliders, fries, and a Coca-Cola. When the operator asks him to repeat the order, noting it sounded a little “tinny” at the end, the playful tone reinforces the campaign’s self-aware humor. The tag reads, “Craving all the things, order all the things.” Watch below:
The campaign will run across CTV, online video, display, radio, and social platforms, including Meta, TikTok, and Snap, and will be supported by influencer partnerships.
Earlier executions under the “Crave Thy Castle” umbrella included a social push that turned TikTok and Instagram creators into “Craving Catalysts,” transforming everyday food moments into Slider-fueled content.
White Castle also activated around Super Bowl LX in partnership with DraftKings, launching a $5,000 “Crave Thy Victory” prediction contest that positioned the brand inside the game day conversation. The effort included a custom landing page, co branded email outreach, media integrations, and social promotion.
The brand further extended its reach through a partnership with The Dan Le Batard Show, featuring a recurring segment in which hosts deliver weekly betting commentary during a :60 microwave countdown of White Castle Sliders.
“Crave Thy Castle” marks GSD&M’s first campaign for the brand since winning the account in July 2025, signaling a broader push to modernize White Castle’s voice while leaning into the unmistakable power of the craving.
CREDITS:
BRAND: White Castle
- Jaime Richardson: CMO
- Sarah Paulson: Director of Retail Marketing, Innovation, and Licensing
- Aaron Lahman: Digital Marketing Manager
- Marie Cottrell: Sr. Brand Manager
- Tyler Smigelski: Brand Manager
AGENCY: GSD&M
- Lee Newman – CEO
- Jay Russell – Chief Creative Officer
- Keisha Taitt – Chief Cultural Insights Officer
- Peggy McCann – Chief Media Officer
- Joe McCaffrey – SVP Head of Social Media
- Kate Rush Sheehy – Co-Chief Strategy Officer
- Dave Zwickerhill – SVP Analytics and Innovation
- Account/Project Management
- Coley Platt – VP/GAD
- Nic Giron – Acct. Supervisor
- Kangsan Kim – Assoc Director Project Manager
- Maddie Mashewske – Project Manager
- Jessica Zalaznick – Creative Director
- Wade Alger – Creative Director
- Adam Stockton – AD
- Kyle Kimball – Assoc Creative Director
- Shannon Gill – Sr. Writer
- Jayme Ray – Sr. AD
- Clay Hudson – Creative Director
- Jaycee Jamison – Jr Art Director
- Jacob Rubenstein – Jr Writer
- Dalia Rubinowicz – Jr Writer
- Tanyah Chambers – Jr Writer
- Kaitlyn Peterson – AD
- Leslie Hung – Sr. AD
- Jessica Peltzman – Social Media Director
- Alice Kozdemba – Sr. Social Strategist
- Daeron Brodie – Social Media Manager
- Brendan Ek – Sr. Social Content Creator
- Bree Wiethorn – Media Director
- Auston Lenius – Media Supervisor
- Lily Clark – Asst Media Planner
- Jenna Jarvis – Paid Social Supervisor
- Jake Norrie – Ad Ops Supervisor
- Deisy Velazquez – Search Campaign Manager
- Christina Hirsch – Strategy Director
- McKenna Carpenter – Comms Strategist
- Shannon Shultz – Strategy Director
- Reid Cobb – Sr Analytics Manager
- Dirk Visser – Associate Director Decision Sciences
- Linda Jackson – Sr Producer
- Nina Xoomsai – Ex Producer
- Chloe Singer – Producer
PRODUCTION COMPANY: RadicalMedia
- Steve Miller Director
- Rebecca Niles Executive Producer
- Tracie Mochizuki Staff Producer
- Carla Tate Producer
EDIT: radioaktiveFilm
- Sasha Bevka Executive Producer
- Eugene Mikhailyuk Head of Production
- Amy Prickett Bidding Producer
- Bogdana Grabovska In-House Production Coordinator
- Michelle Woodward Producer
- Tiffany Burchard: Editor
OFFLINE/COLOR/AUDIO/FINISHING: Omnicom Studios
PACKAGING:
- Kaleidoscope: Hero packaging
- Hero Solutions: Helmet and cloche design
- Scott Payne: Hero product
- Kaleidoscope: Hero packaging.
- Hero Solutions: Helmet and cloche design
- Scott Payne: Hero product
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