• by Teresa Buyikian , July 8, 2024

No doubt Kyle MacLachlan has had his own cult following since his decidedly quirky, epic roles in “Blue Velvet” and “Twin Peaks.” But his longtime stans may not have expected to be lead down a new, crispier path … as members of The Order of Potato Cakes.

Somehow this is all part of Arby’s latest campaign from Fallon, for the return of the beefy chain’s Potato Cakes, a triangle-shaped “shredded potato fried to a crispy golden brown,” per the brand. “In the past year alone, Potato Cakes have been mentioned more than 10,000 times on social media.”

The campaign is an obvious nod to "Twin Peaks" and MacLachlan’s classic performance as Agent Cooper, but also adds bizarrely humorous elements from the "X Files," vintage 1960’s hippie cults and even the Illuminati, for a fun and memorable campaign.

MacLachlan, after discovering the almost mythical return of the hash brown-esque side next to a drive-thru in the first video last week,  is now the leader of The Order of Potato Cakes, an ill-defined organization devoted to the obvious, with an Illuminati-esque eye Potato Cake logo.

“The Order has taken over Arby’s social media,” says a creepy cultish-robed MacLachlan as he slaps the logo over a vintage 1970s computer screen to ensure the prophesy is fulfilled. "Don’t worry, they’re fine.” (His facial expressions imply otherwise.) He continues to implore the viewer to support the “Limited Time Order” with “ the more you comment on social media... the more you purchase Arby’s Potato Cakes, the closer we all get to true Potato Cake enlightenment.”

“We’ve been waiting three long years, and our voices have finally been heard. Potato Cakes are back at Arby’s thanks to The Powers that Beef!” said MacLachlan in a release.

Various integrated video and social media posts support the campaign, with many posts on MacLachlan’s personal feeds.

Also available here while supplies last is new merch designed specifically for The Order, consisting of a Potato Cake Amber Necklace, Potato Cake Candle, enamel pin, and an Order T-shirt and hoodie.

The Potato Cakes are supposedly only back for a limited time. Pretty sure The Order will have something to say about that.