Wendy’s has lucked out lately with a social media campaign that not only has consumers in stitches, but also leveraged their social media following. This was all due to a series of youtube videos released in the past week that humourize the brands new Pretzel Pub Chicken burger. The commercials show various situations where consumers fall in love with the burger in absurd circumstances.

Hilarity is seemingly important in the fast food industry to leverage campaigns. A&W had similar success with a campaign they ran earlier in the year promoting their legendary root beer. So why is this the case? It’s no secret that humour sells, but above this, why are these campaigns so successful, and why have they proven to decrease the amount of backlash these companies receive?

First off, it’s much more difficult to criticize a brand, that, in a sense makes fun of themselves. The Wendy’s campaign is a perfect example of how a joke can mask negativity. Except for some of the regular critics, they received outstanding reviews of their videos and have even engaged twitter followers by encouraging them to use their #PretzelLoveStories hashtag to potentially get their story acted out.

Another aspect that I think is key to note is the industry. If a more serious industry such as financial institutions tried to implement comical campaigns to this extent, I don’t think they would obtain the same kind of buzz that Wendy’s or A&W created. Fast food isn’t traditionally associated with quality and therefore humour provides a nice barrier against the health criticism these brands are used to.

Lastly, these ads are targeted. They deal with one product offering, and in Wendy’s case, this new product is not your usual burger. The fact that it has a pretzel bun and even the name itself: “Pretzel Pub Chicken” allows for some imagination. I think the way they managed to market a new product offering in a cluttered market is a perfect example of knowing your audience. Wendy’s saw the potential to use humour to engage consumers because this was appropriate based on their industry.

Article Referenced: http://www.forbes.com/sites/caroltice/2013/10/28/wendys-social-media-success-secretmassive-stupidity/