Seven years after a viral tweet ignited a nationwide chicken sandwich frenzy dubbed the “Chicken Wars,” A&W Restaurants and its agency of record, Cornett, are turning the brand’s long-awaited debut into a loyalty test—inviting fans to officially declare their allegiance in the comment section of its rivals Instagram feeds.
The ploy begins with a buy-one-get-one-free offer on A&W’s new chicken sandwiches at participating locations, while supplies last. From there, A&W is urging fans to declare their allegiance at awallegiance.com, where they’ll be directed to paste a pledge into the comment sections of Popeyes and Chick-Fil-A’s Instagram posts.
The pledge reads:
✋I HEREBY DECLARE MY ALLEGIANCE ✋TO @AWRESTAURANTS AND ITS NEW, FAR SUPERIOR 💯CHICKEN SANDWICH 🐔 JOIN THE CAUSE AT AWALLEGIANCE.COM ✨FOR A CHANCE TO HAVE YOUR NAME IMMORTALIZED AS A CHICKEN SANDWICH HERO ✊
After years spent perfecting the recipe, A&W is confident its newest menu offering is the best chicken sandwich around—and is ready to put that claim to the test.
“For the last seven years, chicken sandwich fans have been picking sides, and we’ve been behind-the-scenes perfecting our Crispy Chicken Sandwich recipe,” said Betsy Schmandt, CEO and President of A&W Restaurants. “We know chicken sandwich loyalties run deep, but we believe one bite will win fans over. It’s that good. We’re confident that once you try it, you’ll want to declare your loyalty to A&W.”
A&W’s new chicken sandwich lineup arrives seven years after the now-infamous “you good?” tweet sparked a feeding frenzy in fast-food drive-thrus across the country and redefined how Americans talk about chicken sandwiches.
Fans who officially declare their allegiance may be selected to have their Instagram handles proudly enshrined into the A&W Hall of Heroes digital display wall for all to see.
“A&W created a sandwich perfectly crafted to shake up long-standing chicken sandwich allegiances,” said Art Director Emilee Bowman. “Just go look at our competitors’ comment section and see for yourself.”
The new A&W Chicken Sandwich lineup is available now at participating restaurants nationwide, while supplies last. The BOGO offer runs August 17-23, upon request.
CREDITS
Client / A&W Restaurants
Betsy Schmandt, President & CEO
Amanda Potts, VP Marketing & Innovation
Sam Jackson, Sr. Brand Manager
Genevieve Ruth, Director of Digital Engagement
Haley Biddle, Content Marketing Specialist
Agency / Cornett
Whit Hiler, Chief Creative Officer
Jonathon Spalding, Group Creative Director
Kathy Martinolich, Creative Director
Emilee Bowman, Art Director
Aspen Grender, Copywriter
Laura Merchant, Sr. Graphic Designer
Danielle Havrilesko, Account Director
Audrey Marshall, Account Executive
Ginger Smithwick, Director of Strategy
Ellie Kangur, Brand Strategist
Jamon Deaver, Director of Marketing
Robert Baker, Content Studio Director
David Burks, Sr. Video Production Manager
Ty Duckwyler, Content Creation Associate / Photographer
Andrew Rafael, Jr. Producer
Peter Cook, Dir. of Interactive Strategy
Daniel Boone, Digital Producer
James Jean-Marie, Associate UI/Web Designer
Jon McLamb, Data Analytics Manager
Partners
Scott Palazzo, Motion Designer / Video Editor
