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Wendy's is taking shots at its fast-food competitor McDonald's in a playful new campaign from global creative agency VML.
The fast-food chain have teamed up with McBroken.com, a platform that keeps track of which McDonald's locations have their ice cream machines down, to spot the branches not serving McFlurries.
By using McBroken.com's data, Wendy's found that Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, New York, and Los Angeles had significant McDonald's branches with no ice cream.
From there, it sought to bring its famous Frosty to areas where people seek a soft-serve fix.
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The campaign comes as part of a larger effort to promote small Frosties being sold for only $1.
"The ‘Frosty Fix’ program shows how Wendy’s works to meet our customers’ needs in a fun and innovative way and make sure they know they can count on Wendy’s wherever and whenever they need a fix!” Wendy’s CMO Lindsay Radkoski said in a statement.
Meanwhile, VML Chief Creative Officer Alli Pierce also shared her thoughts on the initiative, believing the brand has "always been a little bit rebellious, especially when it comes to those moments when other fast-food restaurants let you down."
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Pierce added that it's the perfect opportunity for the brand's personality to show up outside of social media, "fixing a well-known problem IRL and having a little fun with it."
The latest efforts from Wendy's certainly make its brand identity shine — fun, unserious, and competitive.
Initiatives like these highlight how marketing strategies, with help from experienced creative teams, can elevate a brand's unique voice.
Fixing the Ice Cream Shortage
The 80-second spot kickstarts with a stranger ordering an ice cream from McDonald's via drive-through, only to be informed that their "ice cream is down."
Wendy's then spoke with several customers, all of whom reported that they couldn't get ice cream because McDonald's machine was broken.
"Thankfully, we had a fix," the screen writes.
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The fast-food giant then rolled out its "Frosty Fix" trucks across key McDonald's locations not serving ice cream, with the back design reading: "Honk if you like reliable desserts."
"I think it's an important community service," one person said of Wendy's gesture.
Wendy's then opened shop and began serving Frosties to everyone looking for a sweet treat, closing the spot with everyone wearing smiles.
Recently, KFC and Mullenlowe also used a "Sauce Serve" truck to introduce its new Saucy Nugget flavors in three U.S. cities.
Editing by Katherine 'Makkie' Maclang
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