• by Karl Greenberg , February 28, 2009

Arby's is launching new sandwiches to appeal to those who are looking around for a burger-esque experience without the fried, greasy beef between the bread. The new "Roastburger" sandwiches aren't burgers, per se, but sandwiches comprising thin-sliced roast beef. The company, in interactive and TV spots, is touting the new sandwiches as "burgers done better."

The company is making them in three varieties and backing the new lineup with an ad campaign. The three-sandwich lineup comprises the "All-American Roastburger" which includes lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, ketchup, mustard and a secret sauce on a roll; a Bacon and Bleu Cheese Roastburger; and Bacon and Cheddar Roastburger.

The new ad campaign is composed of TV spots, one of which starts inside an Arby's when a guy outside screams, "Eat this!" as the plate glass front shatters and a frozen hamburger patty flies through. Tied to the patty is a note that says: "Stop making the new Arby's Roastburger, or else." Workers toss the patty into a bucket already full of other competitors' frozen patties, mutter a combined "ooooh, scary," and then begin laughing. The commercial then focuses on product shots of Roastburgers. Merkley and Partners, New York, handles.

In another spot, the store manager is standing over a kitchen counter on which a Roastburger sits beside a moribund hamburger "from the competition." He is lecturing the staff on taxonomic differences when he looks down to see that the burger is missing. He looks over at one of the employees, who is dragging it through his hair to create a '50s style pompadour. Tag: "I'm thinkin' Arby's."

A company representative says Roastburgers were tested in October, and began soft selling on Feb. 17. She says local and national broadcast began Sunday with a national cable buy on 17 channels, including ESPN, History, MTV, Spike, and Comedy Central.

The company is also supporting the effort with promotional activity: Arby's is sponsoring an NCAA tournament bracket on Facebook.com through CBS SportsLine. "Facebook engages more than 80 million active users, and 1.5 million people signed up for Facebook NCAA tournament brackets in 2008," she says.

She says on-air mentions on CBS Sports and online ads on CBS SportsLine and various official team sites via NCAA.com this month will support the NCAA tournament association.

Also this month, Arby's will air one 30-second commercial during each NCAA tournament game online via CBS SportsLine; a companion ad for a Roastburger trial offer; radio spots in Sirius radio's NCAA conference & March Madness tournament games and spots in the network's primary March Madness program.

Finally, there is a PR program for the burger versus Roastburger program, called "Change Your Clock/Change Your Burger" on March 8 where Arby's will give away one free Roastburger (any of the three) with the purchase of any size soft drink on that date.

The Atlanta-based Wendy's/Arby's Group subsidiary, with around 3,735 restaurants in its franchise, is also running a sweepstakes as part of its sponsorship of the Academy of Country Music awards in Las Vegas, which includes a trip to the April 5 show.