Boyz II Men Are Back, Baby, and They're Chillin' for Chili's

“All right fellas, remember the agreement. We’re here for the meal. We’re not gonna be discussing it and we’re absolutely not singing it.”

In the spot below, Boyz II Men’s vow doesn’t last long. They can’t resist busting loose with a soulful rendition of Chili’s baby back ribs jingle (last heard in ads about 15 years ago).

And no, they didn’t record the original version. You can’t believe everything you read on the internet. (Except Muse!)

“We are embracing our history and the things that make Chili’s such a beloved brand,” says CMO George Felix. “This reboot is certainly part of that push as we’re paying respect to the original jingle while having Boyz II Men lend it their Grammy-winning sound. We can’t wait to watch our fans make their own versions of the jingle on TikTok.”

“Many of our guests grew up with the baby back ribs Jingle stuck in their heads, so hearing the rerelease sung by one of the most popular groups from that decade will hopefully bring them back to a moment they know and love,” adds VP of marketing Jesse Johnson. “This will not only be nostalgic because of the song itself, but because of the group we choose to re-record it.”

And Chili’s has your limited-edition vinyl plus T-shirts right here.

The spot breaks today, a sequel of sorts to a throwback entry from February starring R&B legend Brian McKnight. Both ads play into 2023’s music nostalgia craze for brands, as well as the trend of boy band vets starring in commercials.

Such cultural callbacks never lose their flavor. We’ll look forward to the next helping. But for now, we just want our baby back, baby back, baby back, baby back… 

Mischief @ No Fixed Address developed the campaign; Vincent Peone directed.