Wendy’s iconic Frosty treats are a hallmark of our brand. But in the fast-paced world of quick service dining, consumers are making split second decisions on where to take their business and our competitors offer similar desserts. It’s a flat category, and there are 3x as many McDonald’s restaurants as Wendy’s, so we need to be top of mind more often and more memorably than the competition. McDonald’s has a big problem; their ice cream machines are notoriously broken. It’s such a widespread problem that consumers were driven to make a website called McBroken.com dedicated to tracking broken machines in the US. We know we can make waves in organic social, especially when we take a shot at our competition. But can we give people even more to talk about to increase our reach and change purchasing decisions?
The Set Up
Our objective was to steal visits and provide a superior sweet treat to fast food users who had been let down. While Wendy’s is renowned for its iconic Frosty, McDonald’s is notorious for their unreliable ice cream machines. To capitalize on this cultural conversation, we highlighted the widespread consumer frustration surrounding McDonald’s frequent machine malfunctions. We kicked off our activation by compiling complaints from social media and ended our organic video with a teaser, hinting that a fix was coming.
Bringing the Frosty Fight to McDonald’s Turf
To make the biggest impact out of the gate, we knew our first stop had to be symbolic. So we took the fight to McDonald’s backyard: Chicago. Deploying a fleet of Frosty trucks, we set up shop at several McDonald’s locations with non-functioning ice cream machines to save the day when customers left feeling frustrated without their fix. We handed out Frosty treats to disheartened patrons exiting the drive-thru. We engaged with people en route to McDonald’s and reminded them that our Frosty is delicious, and always available. We even served a McDonald’s manager who was also craving a sweet solution. Not only did we make a bold statement by parking our Frosty truck in front of the golden arches, but we gave reluctant McDonald’s goers a reason to rethink their dessert choices the next time a craving hits.
Taking it National
We were just getting started. Broken ice cream machines aren’t just a local issue, they’re a national one. So to show up for ice cream lovers and get them to consider Wendy’s, we took Frosty Fix national. We sent out a national push notification alerting consumers that there was a broken ice cream machine near them, but at Wendy’s, we don’t clown around - we offer a reliable dessert for just $1.
We set out to change consumer mindset and remind fast food users that Wendy’s has a superior, more reliable dessert. We did just that . After deploying Frosty Fix, 100% of the frequent McDonald’s customers we sampled said they like Wendy’s more now than they did before and were more likely to visit us vs. our competition in the future.
