restaurants

Arby's Launches Good-Mood 'Casting Call' Contest

Arbys-B

When Arby's launched its new "Arby's. It's Good Mood Food" campaign in late February, its intentionally over-the-top anchor TV spot -- described by SVP Marketing Bob Kraut as a "Glee" meets "We Are the World" parody -- certainly got attention.

The spot, which aired during many of the national networks' highest-rated shows, featured a goofily sincere character named "RB" and his eclectic group of friends. The group sang a notably unpolished song about human beings' essential similarities below their surface differences ("Cat people, dog people, we all look the same nude"...) -- while also promoting Arby's first premium Angus beef offering (Angus Three-Cheese & Bacon Sandwich).

The campaign, also seen on high-visibility billboards, aimed to convey a broader message to Arby's' target audience, which it describes as "balance seekers": people who want/need fast-food options that are tasty but "higher-quality and more wholesome" than typical burger fare.

advertisement

advertisement

The message: Arby's represents the common solution for the many types of people who seek such medium-ground fast-food options. "We're not claiming to be health food; we're offering tasty fast food -- like our very lean Angus beef -- that's also a sensible alternative to a lot of other options," sums up Kraut.

Advertising critics were not bowled over by the spot. Adweek declared that "Arby's good mood song fails to create one," while broadcast trade site Brocrastinator named it "worst commercial of the week."

But Arby's and its new agency, BBDO New York, would seem to be having the last laugh. The ensuing social media debate between those who embrace the satire and those who find it just plain annoying -- heightened by UGC take-off videos and remixes of the spot's song (parodies of what was already meant to be a parody) -- pushed Arby's BrandIndex buzz quotient up to a top spot among QSRs in March. (New Arby's Facebook fans were also offered the incentive of a $1-off coupon on the Angus sandwich.)

All of which served the practical goals of boosting brand awareness and getting consumers to try the new sandwich.

Arby's followed in April with a site relaunch featuring a blog from its executive chef (info about new products and Q&As with fans) and a "build-a-meal" calculator providing easy nutrition/calories info.

And in May, it ran a straightforwardly unscientific consumer taste-off that pitted one of its chicken salad sandwiches against one of Subway's'. Arby's, which pledged to donate $1 per Facebook vote (either way) to Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry Campaign, got 8,820 votes to Subway's 1,048, and subsequently upped its donation to $25,000.

Results: Arby's Facebook fans jumped by 200,000 within about two months of the "good mood" campaign launch, reports Kraut. The brand had about 33,000 fans as of June 2010, he says; now, it has 543,000-plus.

More important, after seeing North American same-store sales decline by 5.8% for full-year 2010, Arby's' North American same-store sales increased by 5.5% in this year's first quarter.

Now, Arby's (which has just been acquired by Roark Capital Group, from the previously combined Wendy's/Arby's Group) has decided to "formalize" its embrace of the UGC "good mood food" phenomenon by launching a "Casting Call" video contest, Kraut tells Marketing Daily.

The contest, timed to coincide with and support this month's launch of another premium sandwich (the "Angus Cool Deli Sandwich"), encourages fans 13 and older to create videos of themselves demonstrating how Arby's "puts them in a good mood."

The grand prize winner will receive $10,000 and will get to sing the closing 2.5-second "Arby's. It's Good Mood Food" tagline in an upcoming national TV ad. Entrants are also, of course, being encouraged to share their videos via Facebook and Twitter.

To inspire entrants, Arby's had YouTube phenom Alex Farnham (youtube.com/user/DamItsGood808) create a video coaching people on how to create their own "good mood food" contest videos. Farnham's effort includes his own original song celebrating Arby's.

In addition, Arby's' site is showcasing the contest and a video featuring the "RB" character, who also offers contest entrants tips on what Arby's is looking for from their videos. (Trivia alert: "RB" is a tribute to the Raffel Brothers, who founded Arby's in 1964.)

Overall, Arby's' new strategy reflects a shift toward greater emphasis on national marketing in its television and digital efforts, as well as that focus on "balance seekers," reports Kraut. "We're a national brand, so we're now doing marquee national advertising and marketing events throughout the year," in addition to regional TV, radio and FSI efforts in between, he says.

Next story loading loading..