El Pollo Loco appoints The Many as creative agency

The independent agency will develop creative designed to connect the brand with culture and communities across channels and consumer touchpoints

The Many has been appointed by El Pollo Loco to lead creative as the US restaurant brand focuses on its next stage of growth. The independent agency will develop creative designed to connect the brand with culture and communities across channels and consumer touchpoints.

The appointment brings The Many back together with El Pollo Loco’s CMO Jill Adams and VP of Creative & Culture Grant Knapp, who have previously worked with the agency. Their collaboration is built around connecting brands with culture and encouraging audiences to participate.

The Many expands El Pollo Loco relationship

El Pollo Loco first included The Many in a competitive agency review in 2024, before appointing another agency. The brand subsequently worked with The Many during 2025 on cultural creative projects, including a campaign featuring WNBA player Arike Ogunbowale surprising a Dallas basketball team at practice to play P-O-L-L-O in support of The El Pollo Loco Foundation.

The agency also worked with the brand to launch Loco Tenders at Revolve Festival at Coachella. The Many says the projects helped establish the basis for the broader creative partnership.

Agency brings QSR and food experience

The Many brings experience across the quick-service restaurant and food and beverage sectors. Its work includes a four-year relationship with Panda Express, where it led creative before moving into Connections Strategy, media execution, strategic analytics and the IAT in 2024. The agency has also worked with QDOBA, where Adams and Knapp led marketing during The Many’s tenure.

The agency’s approach focuses on cultural and community engagement alongside paid media. For El Pollo Loco, The Many will develop ideas intended to work across cultural moments, communities and channels rather than focusing solely on paid placements or limited-time offers.

El Pollo Loco selects agency for broader creative role

Jill Adams, Chief Marketing Officer, El Pollo Loco: "I personally am thrilled to be working with The Many again. They are proven partners who consistently deliver on the needs of the brand. From our initial project work to their new brand creative responsibilities, they have already impressed the entire El Pollo Loco team with their commitment to our business objectives, strategic thinking, and creative prowess. Their partnership is pushing us into new territories and ways of thinking – and we’re excited to see where that takes the brand."

Maggie Cadigan, Managing Director, The Many: "El Pollo Loco chose a partner built to think across the full ecosystem of how people discover and connect with brands today. We know this category, and we know this team. We also know the difference that trust and urgency make when the brief is ambitious, and that combination is what makes this partnership exciting."

The appointment gives The Many responsibility for El Pollo Loco’s broader creative remit as the restaurant brand develops its marketing activity.

www.elpolloloco.com

www.themany.com

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