O'Charley's Restaurants, a 230-unit restaurant chain based in Nashville, Tenn. is counting on its yeast rolls to differentiate its restaurants from other casual dining chains. The company launched a marketing campaign including TV ads and a new Web site to promote the rolls. Three ads, created by The Buntin Group, Nashville, depict people in embarrassing situations who find relief with a basket of rolls.

In one spot, a woman gets her dress caught in a shopping mall escalator. She covers herself up with her shopping bags and says to staring shoppers, “Is it cold in here, or is it just me?” An image of the rolls appears with a voice-over that says, “It all starts with the rolls, and it only gets better from there.”

The company also launched www.therolls.com, which includes games, a contest and streaming digital versions of the humorous advertisements. The site opens with an animated story about how O'Charley's roll becomes a “roll” model for the industry.

“What began as an advertising campaign has mushroomed into a fully integrated marketing program that resonates completely throughout the company,” said Jeff Warne, O'Charley's concept president, in a company release. “Sometimes the solution is so obvious, you just don't see it. We knew that our guests liked our signature rolls, but did not fully realize how passionate they were about them.”

In July last year, O'Charley's sold its commissary building and began outsourcing its frozen dough production to Cornerstone Baking, Nashville.