The chain wars continue.
Just days after Freshii’s CEO tried to woo struggling Subway to convert its shops to his brand, two new high-profile salvos have entered the battle for chain dominance.
Wendy’s will air an ad during the first quarter of Sunday’s Super Bowl calling out McDonald’s for its use of flash-frozen beef patties. “The iceberg that sank the Titanic was frozen, too,” the ad states, before touting Wendy’s “fresh-never-frozen” burgers and nicknaming McDonald’s “the Frozen Arches.”
This is the first time Wendy’s has specifically called out a competitor in its TV advertising, a spokeswoman for the chain says.
Checkers & Rally’s, meanwhile, is taking aim at Taco Bell’s recent addition of fries to its menu. The burger chain placed a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times, inviting Taco Bell employees to try the fries at Checkers or Rally’s for “a few deliciously seasoned pointers.”
“Welcome to the fry game,” the ad reads. “While you’ve been tied up in meetings discussing refried beans and putting tacos into other tacos, we’ve spent decades perfecting our famous seasoned fries.” The ad notes that Checkers' fries have been ranked the No. 1 most craveable fries in the country by Restaurant Business’ sister company Technomic.
In 2016, Checkers & Rally’s placed a full-page ad in USA Today to play up its hot dogs, a response to Burger King’s wiener launch. Hot dog sales at Checkers & Rally’s jumped 200% following the ad’s appearance, the chain claims.