Smashburger has hired Partners in Crime as its new agency of record as the burger chain looks to strengthen its digital channels in a crowded burger category.

Partners in Crime won the account after a review that included several agencies. The agency’s “creative syndicate,” a group of subject matter marketing experts hired using partial employment contracts, is what won over the burger chain, said Emily Romme, senior brand manager at Smashburger.

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“We wanted an agency who is knowledgeable on the digital front, but we also wanted to make our dollars go further and optimize our budget,” Romme said. “The syndicate model lets us scale and add as we grow because they can source senior-level expertise, and we only pay when we need to, and save us overhead costs and time.”

That’s not to say that a bunch of freelancers will be overseeing the account. Smashburger will get a dedicated group of three to six people from Partners in Crime, including an account manager, creative director and a strategist. 

The arrangement is the latest example of how agencies are using new financial models to win over increasingly cost-conscious clients.

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Partners in Crime replaces Partners & Napier, which Smashburger worked with since 2019. In 2021, Partners & Napier helped Smashburger undergo a brand refresh, including a new logo. The agency was not part of the review process.

Partners in Crime will “focus on research and strategy, brand campaign development, overall awareness, and tactical sales work” for Smashburger, according to a press release. The agency was founded by Stephen Goldblatt, who previously held chief creative and chief digital roles at agencies including West, Mullen Lowe, and Goodby Silverstein & Partners.

Partners in Crime has previously worked with Github, Shutterfly, Indeed and Bank of the West. 

The new partnership comes as Smashburger looks to hone its digital channels to be more targeted in speaking to current and future customers. Other chains have invested heavily in social media in particular and have seen it impact their sales—see McDonald’s recent Grimace Shake trend or Chipotle’s fajita quesadilla, which was born out of a TikTok “menu hack.” Popeyes even jumped on the “girl dinner” trend by putting a meal consisting of sides on its menu.

“Traditionally, [fast food chains] have been mainstays in traditional media,” said Goldblatt, founder and creative director of Partners in Crime. “But today, a savvy digital strategy will reach more people in a more genuine and engaging way. We want to lean more into cultural moments and create groundswells.”

Smashburger spent $6.2 million on U.S.-measured media in 2022, according to Vivvix, including paid social data from Pathmatics, down from the $7.8 million it spent in 2021.

Both Romme and Goldblatt said that the first creative from the partnership should be appearing this fall.

Denver-based Smashburger has 245 corporate and franchise restaurants operating in 34 states and seven countries and is owned by Philippines-based Jollibee Foods Corp., which owns Jollibee, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, and several Asian chains including Tim Ho Wan and Chowking. Jollibee Group acquired Smashburger in 2019.