Lion Cub’s Cookies from lūquire, the independent, integrated marketing agency based in Charlotte. Here’s the deal:
In an age of virtual everything, Lion Cub’s Cookies (recently ranked No. 2 in USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Cookie Shop of 2025) is proving that real connection still happens face to face, with a cookie in hand.
In honor of Loneliness Awareness Week, the beloved Columbus-based cookie company did the unthinkable: it closed its two booming storefronts on a Saturday, its busiest day of the week, and reopened for one day only inside Ohio Living Westminster-Thurber, a local retirement community.
Developed by Charlotte-based agency lüquire, the one-day activation, called “Share a Warm Moment,” was more than a clever stunt. It became a catalyst for conversation around an often invisible epidemic: loneliness, especially among older adults.
Guests were invited to sit and share a cookie and a moment with residents who, in many cases, described it as the “happiest day they’ve had in years.” lüquire engineered the effort as an earned-first campaign designed to create impact in both metrics and meaning. The campaign not only tugged on heartstrings, it moved product and perception.
By the numbers:
- The activation doubled average Saturday sales rate even after closing all locations on Lion Cub’s busiest day of the week (Saturday).
- Cookies sold out halfway through the activation, with a cookie selling every second.
- A a half a million eyes on an overlooked cause, without a single PSA.
To sustain momentum, Lion Cub’s launched a limited-edition “shareable cookie,” with 20% of proceeds going to Ohio State University’s Age-Friendly Innovation Center. Visitors are encouraged to continue the mission by sharing their own stories using the hashtag #ShareAWarmMoment, purchasing shareable cookies, or volunteering with older adults.
“We’ve always believed in the power of cookies to bring people together,” said Bradley Kaplan, Founder and CEO of Lion Cub’s Cookies. “Closing our stores on the busiest day of the week wasn’t about business. We wanted to show that even the smallest gesture, like starting a conversation, can spark a connection. That’s the kind of warmth we hope to share, one cookie at a time.”
“This is the kind of work that speaks to who we are,” said Brooks Luquire, CEO of luquire. “It starts with a bold idea and ends with something people actually feel. We set out to create more than a one-day moment by reminding them what it truly means to connect with one another.”
