Whataburger is turning 75 years old and the brand is celebrating with its first-ever activation at SXSW.
The Texas brand is bringing its Instagram community, Whataburger Museum of Art (WMOA), to life in a physical gallery.
“We’ll be showcasing over 200 pieces of Whataburger fan art, both physical and digital, with interactive elements like a spicy ketchup ball pit and a special mug shot area,” says Whataburger’s chief marketing officer Scott Hudler. “Since our fans love collecting our table tents (which is code for stealing them, and we’re totally fine with that), they can now get a special SXSW 75th anniversary table tent to take home.”
A presence at SXSW is natural for a brand that is focused on showing up in culture. The company recently partnered with Wranger to create Western wear and fashion that embraces the brand’s vibe. This includes orange and white striped flare jeans, cowboy inspired tees and baseball caps.
Social listening also plays a key role in the brand’s marketing strategy as the team checks in on Reddit threads and other online spaces to hear what fans are saying about the brand. One fan even started a Change.org petition to bring back a limited edition menu item that had gone away,
“There’s one fan on Change.org who started a petition to bring back the Mushroom Swiss Burger, and it has over 7,000 signatures,” explains Hudler. “Normally if you say, there’s a petition about your brand on Change.org, it’s like you probably did something wrong. But in this case, it’s just the love for this product. People are passionate about their favorites, and we love seeing that.”
Prior to joining Whataburger, Hudler held senior marketing positions at Torchy’s Tacos, DICK’s Sporting Goods, Mars, Popeyes and Dunkin’ Brands. Hudler will be speaking at Brand Innovators Marketing Leadership Summit in Austin this week. We caught up with Hudler before the event to talk about the brand’s 75th anniversary, Gen Z and menu innovation. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Can you tell me about the 75th anniversary and what you’re doing to celebrate?
Yeah, it’s pretty exciting for us—75 years. We want it to be a year of celebration with our fans. We just married a couple in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. We did a water wedding as part of a campaign where we asked people to tell us why they should get married at Whataburger. It was a great couple. They worked at a different restaurant, but after their shifts, they would go to Whataburger because it was the only thing open in Lakeway, Texas, late at night.
We’re also bringing back some fan-favorite LTOs, like the Monterey Melt, and we have some great new products coming throughout the year. We really want this 75th anniversary to be a celebration with our fans, highlighting the things they love about Whataburger and making it a year-long event.
Can you talk a little bit about the strategy behind the SXSW activation?
We have this online initiative called the Whataburger Museum of Art. It’s a way for our fans to express their love for the brand through both physical and digital art. The original plan was to bring it to life in early 2020, but the pandemic put it on hold. Now, for our 75th anniversary and SXSW, we wanted to bring the brand onto this global stage.
What do you have planned for the next 75 years?
We’re 75 years old, with over a thousand locations, and we have room to grow. The goal is to continue expanding while staying true to our roots. Whataburger has always been about that moment in which you are holding a burger with two hands, taking a bite, and saying, “What a burger!”
We can do all these great things like WAMoA (Whataburger Museum of Art) and cool collaborations with brands like Wrangler, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to the guest experience. We want people to take that first bite and feel the same way they did in 1950. That’s what we aim to keep doing in 2025, 2100, and beyond.
Why is it important for Whataburger to show up in culture and be a part of these moments?
The way we reach consumers today is completely different from even five years ago. People have shorter attention spans, and everything is happening on their phones. Gone are the days when you could just buy a Thursday night TV spot and be done.
So, being hyper-visual and present in culture is crucial. People learn about and form opinions on brands through cultural moments and conversations, not just traditional marketing. When we show up in these moments, we want to do it in a way that feels unique, authentic, and true to who we are.
Can you talk about how you’re specifically reaching Gen Z?
Things like the Whataburger Museum of Art help us stand out. We’re also dialing in our social presence because that’s where brands live now.
When we launch products, we lead with a social-first mindset—breaking news through social media before anywhere else. We’re lucky to have a passionate fan base. If you check any of our Instagram posts, you’ll see the same pattern: someone saying, “This is great, but bring back X product,” and another person asking us to come to their city. There’s even someone who comments on every post with “Day 265 of asking you to come to St. Louis.” We love that engagement and lean into it.
Are you bringing back any particular menu items?
Yes. We brought back the Monterey Melt in January, along with the Chicken Fajita Taco. And we have a strong lineup of other fan favorites coming back throughout the year.
I love going on Reddit and seeing people guess what’s next. It’s fun watching them speculate. Of course, every LTO (Limited Time Offer) has the chance to become permanent if it earns its place. I even go online sometimes and like certain comments or reply, just to engage with our fans. They may not know who I am, but my profile picture has a Whataburger cup, so with a little internet sleuthing, they could figure it out. The passion from our guests is what makes this brand so special.
Are brand collaborations part of your strategy moving forward?
Yes. We recently launched a collaboration with Wrangler, which makes perfect sense since Whataburger was born in Texas, and Wrangler is a symbol of Texas culture.
We also do limited-edition collaborations, like one last year with Vineyard Vines and another with True Brand. These partnerships let us tap into culture in fun and different ways—our fans aren’t just wearing a logo, they’re wearing something unique that represents the brand in a fresh way.
How has your experience with other brands shaped your perspective at Whataburger?
I’ve been fortunate to work with brands that have a strong fan base – Popeyes, Snickers, Dunkin’. One of the key things I’ve learned is how to tap into that love and translate it into growth.
For example, when I joined Dunkin’, there weren’t many locations west of the Mississippi. Now, when I visit California, I see Dunkin’ signs at freeway exits. That kind of expansion is what we’re working on at Whataburger. Right now, we’re in 16 states, but we see a lot of room to grow.
Is that growth part of your roadmap?
Absolutely. Growth is a big part of our strategy. We’ve announced new locations in North Carolina—our 17th state—and next year, we’re expanding into Tampa, Florida.
It’s exciting because Whataburger is already a strong brand, but we have so much more room to reach new customers.
What key marketing trends do you expect to see this year?
I think about this in two ways—specific to QSR (quick-service restaurants) and more broadly in marketing. It’s about making it easy for customers to order online, pick up in-store, or get delivery. The guest experience is also important, whether in the drive-thru, dining in, or using an app, the experience has to be seamless. We also focus on value. We think value definitely is about experience. We’re not going to be the cheapest brand ever in our category. We’re more of a premium brand but we also want to make sure we’re providing great value for our guests.
For marketing overall, AI is a game-changer for digital, guest experience, and understanding customer feedback. Things that used to take days now take minutes. Relevance is also key. Brands have to stay tapped into culture, like we do with WAMoA and social media. The last one, which is near and dear to our hearts at Whataburger is differentiation. You can’t blend in. Brands need to stand out in marketing, products, and even physical spaces.
