The Chicken Shop Date Marketing Strategy: Key Marketing Lessons From Amelia Dimoldenberg

Who is Amelia Dimoldenberg?

Amelia Dimoldenberg is a presenter, writer, producer, and entrepreneur who turned a uni project into a multi-platform media brand. A Londoner with a background in fashion journalism from Central Saint Martins, she began Chicken Shop Date whilst working at a youth club where she’d been interviewing grime artists. Instead of taking them into a professional studio, she opted for something more… casual: a chicken shop.

It was the perfect setup: fast food, fluorescent lighting, and a painfully awkward first date format. And she played a character – a heightened, socially uncomfortable, self-proclaimed cringe version of herself. Her humour was dry, her questions strange, and her guests often unsure what they’d just signed up for.

From Ghetts, AJ Tracey, and Aitch to Maya Jama and Big Narstie, the guest list quickly became the one-stop shop for Grime artists and British icons; each stepped into the chicken shop not quite knowing what to expect but leaving as part of a viral moment.

Over the years, that awkward, low-budget premise has evolved but never lost its soul. Chicken Shop Date now attracts global celebrities, luxury brand partnerships, and millions of views across platforms. Dimoldenberg herself has also become a cultural fixture: sitting front row at fashion week, flirting with Spider-Man on the red carpet, running her own production company, Dimz Inc., and becoming an influencer in her own right.

A New Wave of Journalism

Amelia Dimoldenberg created more than a YouTube series in 2014, she helped usher in a new kind of journalism. Struggling with traditional media formats during her final project at university, she recognised the shifts the industry was making early on. Audiences no longer craved print magazines or overly polished red carpets and interviews: they wanted something offbeat, real, and entertaining. 

Chicken Shop Date landed at the perfect intersection of insight and gossip – awkward silences and unfiltered moments that stood in stark contrast to legacy media formats. It was a stepping stone – the DNA for shows like Hot Ones, and  Vogue’s ‘What’s In My Bag?, tapping into the appeal of watching high-profile people do oddly ordinary things. 

 “They wanted me to make a print magazine”

This lo-fi, intimate approach to interviews helped redefine what’s considered ‘press’. Her questions weren’t necessarily deep or hard-hitting, but they often led to revealing answers. A-list guests let their guard down in ways they rarely did on mainstream outlets, and that gave the show a unique edge.

In an era of short attention spans and media-savvy audiences, Amelia’s format felt refreshing. In making space for small talk, silence, and spontaneity, Chicken Shop Date carved out a new model for what youth-driven, digitally-native journalism could look like.

The Chicken Shop Date Marketing Strategy

Brand Partnerships

As Chicken Shop Date evolved from an indie YouTube series into a cross-platform sensation, Amelia Dimoldenberg’s appeal to brands grew rapidly.

Her work with Bumble, Levi’s, and Chicken Cottage worked particularly well. Bumble leaned into the show’s awkward romance stories angle, reaching a younger audience through humorous, self-aware content. Chicken Cottage was a natural fit – not just because of the setting (although it was convenient, wasn’t it?), but because the entire campaign embraced the charm of the brand without trying to elevate or reframe it: it’s chicken shop content in a chicken shop. Meanwhile, Levi’s focused on Amelia’s style and individuality, allowing her to stay in character while nodding to her fashion background.

However, when collaborations aren’t well-connected to Dimoldenberg’s brand, the results speak for themself. Her latest collaboration with Converse, whilst visually polished, felt slightly out of sync with the usual awkward format. Hosting their dating show ‘Chuckmates’, a YouTube series dedicated to blind dating via their shoes. What struck audiences was how little it resonated to them. Converse hired a successful creator but didn’t include the charm that made her so successful in the first place. It highlights how crucial it is for partnerships to stay true to their influencers and content. Still, these moments are the exception – most collaborations show how flexible the Chicken Shop Date and Dimoldenberg are when brands trust the process. 

For marketers, it’s a reminder that tone and resonance matter more than budget or polish – especially with creator-led formats. After all, that’s what made Chicken Shop Date the success it is today.

Guest Evolution

With guests ranging from grime artists, television personalities, and comedians – the early days of Chicken Shop Date featured guests who were gaining momentum in the UK’s underground scene. As Chicken Shop Date grew in popularity, so did the caliber (and variety) of its guests. High-profile celebrities like Ryan Reynolds, Billie Eilish, Ben Stiller, Sabrina Carpenter, and Hugh Jackman have since appeared on the show, under the same conditions as the show we know and love.

In some cases, brand integration has cleverly tied into guest appearances – like Bella Hadid’s feature coinciding with her perfume promotion, Orebella; subtly woven into the show without feeling forced. The ability to move from local musicians to international stars without losing the series’ identity speaks to both Amelia’s versatility and the strength of the Chicken Shop Date brand.

This evolution isn’t just a guest list upgrade, it’s a strategic shift that opens the format to global audiences, expands its commercial viability, and reinforces the brand’s relevance in both music and mainstream entertainment spaces.

Adapting Awkwardness:

As the founder of Chicken Shop Date, she’s effectively leveraged her own identity across social media to draw people in. As her brand presence has evolved, so has her tone. One of the most distinctive elements of Chicken Shop Date has always been Amelia Dimoldenberg’s on-screen persona – a dry, deadpan character that disarms even the most media-trained guests. But over time, that character has evolved alongside her.

“It’s always been an exaggerated version of me,” she explains. “But recently, I’ve been evolving the character because I’ve been evolving as a woman. It’s been 10 years [since the show started]. In the earlier episodes, I’m sarcastic, dry and deadpan. Now I drive a lot of the conversation. I’m more confident and warm.”

This change is subtle but noticeable. The tone of the show has softened without losing its edge. While early episodes leaned heavily on silences and stilted exchanges, more recent interviews show Amelia balancing her trademark personality with more fluid, dynamic interactions. Why? This shift has allowed the show to scale without becoming formulaic, especially when hosting global stars less familiar with the format, proving that even the most stylised humour can grow and adapt with its audience, and its creator.  

Beyond the Chicken Shop

As Amelia says herself, Chicken Shop Date won’t last forever. So, what is next for her once the chicken shop closes? Amelia Dimoldenberg has firmly cemented herself outside of her landmark show, evolving past her usual formats and cultivating content across a wide scope of media. From her Nike partnership, which featured the England Lionesses in a short film in support of Football Beyond Borders, to ‘Amelia’s Cooking Show’ a YouTube series that platforms influencers & celebrities in a food-fuelled interview, her diversification of productions has seen her curate compelling, audience winning moments. 

Beyond production, she’s feeding back to her fashion journalism roots and is now a regular on the red carpet, backstage with Oscar winners having lunch, and interviewing movie stars at their premieres. Her relationship with Gucci saw her at Milan Fashion Week in 2024, interviewing the likes of Nara Smith (11.9M), and Gabriette (1.1M). As she moves further into culture and entertainment spaces, Amelia is proving she’s more than a one-format presenter. Whether it’s working with global brands, developing new series, or showing up where you least expect her – backstage, front row, or in the kitchen – she’s shaping a career that’s as versatile as it is distinctive.

What can we learn?

So what can brands learn from Amelia Dimoldenberg? Perhaps that when done right, a brand niche can always be evolved. Yes, staying true to the core of your brand is essential, but so is growing with it. By strategically evolving both the character she plays and who she targets, she’s opened up her platform to all varieties of high-powered celebrity guests, from A-list models like Bella Hadid to iconic journalists like Louis Theroux.

As brand marketers, identifying how your brand fits into your audience’s lives as they change ensures long-term engagement and builds a loyal community far beyond your product or services. What’s more? Recognising that your brand doesn’t need to be a one-trick pony – Amelia certainly isn’t. She’s not only the visionary behind the brand but she’s blurred the lines between Chicken Shop Date and her own social presence: her business’ ready-made influencer. Brands take note: Amelia Dimoldenberg is the blueprint for expanding your horizons, seeking partnerships that challenge your brand, and reaching new audiences.

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