• by Tanya Gazdik , February 11, 2021

A&W is calling a truce to the so-called “chicken sandwich war” this Valentine’s Day.

The reference is to fierce competition among fast-food chains, first sparked by Popeyes in 2019 when the chain added a chicken sandwich that quickly became difficult to find due to its popularity.

"At A&W, we're lovers, not fighters," Liz Bazner, the restaurant chain's director of digital, tells Marketing Daily. "And nothing can bring people together like a basket of A&W's Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders. So let's put a stop to this never-ending Chicken Sandwich War, put on some Tender Lovin' Lip Balm, kiss and make up.”

The promotion, created by Lexington, Kentucky-based Cornett, includes a sweepstakes with an assortment of offbeat gifts and plays up the restaurant chain’s hand-breaded chicken tenders.

Now through Feb. 17, consumers can enter to win one of several “Tender Lovin’” products via A&W’s Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts, or by submitting an entry form online.   

Up for grabs is a “Hand-Breaded Chicken Tender Body Pillow,” an oversized piece of literal comfort food that makes a plush companion for those spending Valentine’s Day without a sweetheart (or pet) to snuggle.

Another prize is a tin of “Tender Lovin’ Lip Balm” made with actual A&W fryer oil that reportedly tastes like a fresh basket of chicken tenders.

The promotion and prizes are featured in a psychedelic “Anti-Chicken Sandwich War” poster on display in-store and on social media. The activation is being promoted across A&W’s social media accounts.