Additions to fast-food menus not often get six months to construct buzz, however that was not the case with the return of Snack Wraps to McDonald’s. The chain’s U.S. president Joe Erlinger confirmed the return of the cult favourite merchandise, which was faraway from most U.S. areas in 2016, in December 2024, kicking off months of hype from followers and the model.
However McDonald’s wasn’t alone. In an try to hijack the dialog and beat the Golden Arches to the punch, Popeyes on June 2 introduced the addition of Rooster Wraps to its menu, providing “a complete lot of taste with out breaking the financial institution.”
Since then, the advertising — and aggressive sparring — has continued, with Taco Bell moving into the hen wrap recreation and KFC, Wingstop and even White Citadel doubling down on advertising round hen. These efforts demonstrates how QSRs proceed to market the protein, years after the so-called hen sandwich wars reinvigorated the class.
“Our foot visitors knowledge signifies that whereas worth is essential, innovation is equally related to QSR shoppers when making buy resolution,” mentioned R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical analysis at Placer.ai, in emailed feedback. “Over the previous few years, hen has been a serious supply of innovation throughout the QSR class, from new hen strip choices to, extra lately, varied snack wrap choices.”
Lovin’ nostalgia
For McDonald’s, the facility of innovation is within the knowledge. On the day of Snack Wrap’s return (July 10), visits to the chain have been up 15%, in comparison with the year-to-date common, with visits on July 11 growing 22.3% in comparison with the year-to-date common.
“The Snack Wrap’s profitable comeback is the most recent instance of a revived product discovering success, reinforcing the facility of nostalgia in as we speak’s QSR limited-time affords,” Hottovy advised Advertising Dive’s sister publication Restaurant Dive.
To market the return of the Snack Wrap, McDonald’s leaned into that nostalgia, because it has with every part from a sales-lifting celebration of Grimace’s birthday to Joyful Meals, McNugget Buddies and collector cups. The model launched a throwback internet portal to hype the return, extending the marketing campaign with a TV spot, social posts, out-of-home adverts and a Snapchat activation.
However the chain can be utilizing the return of the Snack Wrap to take its advertising ahead. The chain lately appointed Translation as its new company of file for the African American shopper market. To succeed in that market, the company created an “Unc” character, performed by Hassan Johnson (“The Wire”), who options in adverts that co-sign the Snack Wrap for a technology of shoppers who weren’t round through the product’s heyday.
Translation has labored with McDonald’s earlier than, on the creation of the enduring “I’m Lovin’ It” jingle and a “Suppose with Your Mouth” Large Mac marketing campaign. Shifting ahead, the model and company hope to ship extra insight-led, culturally knowledgeable campaigns, per an announcement.
Rooster wars proceed
In its efforts to needle McDonald’s, Popeyes appeared to instigate a full-blown “wrap battle” with what it billed because the first-ever synthetic intelligence-generated diss observe music video. The chain partnered with creator PJ Accetturo for a video that featured — amongst different issues — a Popeyes celebration, a knight in shining armor and a depressed, fast-food-slinging clown.
“Greater than only a model video, this marks a shift in how briskly meals connects with followers: not via polished adverts, however via collaborative creativity,” a model spokesperson mentioned in an announcement.
Popeyes was not alone in moving into the so-called wrap wars. Taco Bell constructed on its launch of a crispy hen nuggets product with crispy hen burritos and tacos — the latter resembling a snack wrap, by every other title. The merchandise are a part of a full, everlasting crispy-chicken platform that may roll out by 2026.
“Crispy hen is having a second, however our followers made it a motion,” mentioned Taco Bell CMO Taylor Montgomery, in an announcement. “We’re not like each different hen spot on the market, we’re doing crispy hen the one method we all know how: filled with taste and unmistakably Taco Bell.”
To attach with followers round tradition, Taco Bell took to Cameo to forged a large internet of name ambassadors, from actress Kate Flannery (“The Workplace”), rapper-actor GaTa and celeb chef Christian Petroni for the brand new crispy hen merchandise. The chain additionally started operating an advert whereby a shopper ponders the unlikely pairing of a “Crispy Rooster From a Taco Place.”
Maybe much more unlikely than crispy hen from a taco place is crispy hen from the world’s first fast-food hamburger chain. But White Citadel on June 30 launched a Crispy Rooster Slider alongside branded merch and a $5 combo solely out there to rewards members. Loyalty performs have elevated as restaurant chains look to entice cash-strapped shoppers throughout an unsure financial interval.
Rooster chain bona fides
Whereas many within the QSR area are targeted on snack wraps, different chicken-focused chains are ramping up advertising, as effectively. KFC this month appeared to enter its “comeback period” with a multipart marketing campaign that options each a spot co-starring celeb chef and actor Matty Matheson and a push to make founder-mascot Colonel Sanders extra severe. The marketing campaign, “The Colonel Lived So We May Rooster,” seems to proper the ship after a interval of U.S. gross sales declines amid elevated competitors.
“We’re effectively conscious of the most recent fried hen rankings and I’m fired as much as launch a daring Kentucky Fried Comeback and remind America precisely who we’re,” mentioned Catherine Tan-Gillespie, president of KFC U.S., in an announcement. “If folks may give their ex 1,000,000 second probabilities, I hope our followers may give us one.”
Amongst KFC’s main opponents is Wingstop, which noticed 41% progress in shopper spend in 2024 — the most important acquire among the many high 50 restaurant chains — in response to Circana knowledge. The chain has been an energetic marketer as of late, teaming with WNBA star Paige Bueckers for a celeb meal harking back to these provided by McDonald’s Well-known Orders platform. Wingstop additionally appeared to make their dominance in hen official, submitting an utility to register the “Nationwide Rooster Tender Day” trademark.
“Some say that hen fingers, strips and tenders are the identical, however Wingstop is not shopping for it,” mentioned Mark Christenson, Wingstop’s chief income officer, in a press launch. “By submitting a trademark utility to register ‘Nationwide Rooster Tender Day,’ Wingstop is giving the finger to fingers and staking our declare on our distinctive crispy tenders that followers crave.”
