COVER ILLUSTRATIONS: AUGUSTO COSTANZOIN THIS ISSUE
SEPTEMBER 2, 2019 | VOL. LX NO. 21
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Congratulations and condolences to creative
marketers. The good news: You can stop
brainstorming about, “What is our Whopper
Detour?” The bad news: Now you must answer,
“What is our Popeyes chicken sandwich?”
The product launch that set a new bar for
buzz, Popeyes’ new sandwich exploded onto
the scene this month and quickly transcended
from menu addition to cultural phenomenon.
Thanks to the brand’s social sav vy (via agency
GSD&M) and being embraced by the massively
influential force known collectively as Black
Twitter, the launch led to unprecedented lines
at every Popeyes location nationwide.
Then it happened: The chain sold out.
While running out of a test product—as KFC
did this past week with its plant-based Beyond
Fried Chicken—is a good problem to have,
running empty on your hottest, permanent
menu item is a bad look. But Popeyes used
the drought to drive consumers to its
smartphone app (a favorite call to action of
its sister brand, Burger King), sparking someunderstandable grumbling but promising a
heads up when the resupply arrives.
Fernando Machado, the Burger King global
CMO who’s also been acting in the same role
for Popeyes this year (and is looking to hire
someone to take it over for him), admitted
to Adweek that the success of the Popeyes
chicken sandwich surpassed anything a
marketing team could accomplish solely
through its own creativity.
“We would never strategize on, ‘Let’s make
this viral.’ You can never guarantee that will
happen. You can try, but you cannot bank on
that,” Machado said. “What’s happening here
is definitely bigger than our most optimistic
dreams were, which is a testament to the
strength of the product and the love people
have for Popeyes.”
Will fans still be in a frenzy when the
sandwich returns? Or did a lack of supply-
chain optimism stall Popeyes’ momentum?
For now, all the brand can do is hope—and
get working on that case study video.POPEYES SOLD OUT OF ITS BEYOND-BUZZY NEW MENU ITEM.
HERE’S WHAT IT DID NEXT. BY DAVID GRINERTHE CHICKEN SANDWICH WARS
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PERSPECTIVE
Yes, Tab is still around—and
the cola still has its fizz.