Arby’s Last Laugh with Jon Stewart

Silver Anvil Case Study

By Carly Greenberg
Arby’s Background
In 1964, if you wanted fast-food, you
were most likely stuck eating
hamburgers or chicken nuggets. That
was until Leroy and Forrest Raffel
decided to franchise their own idea, a
different take on a drive-through that
served-up roast beef sandwiches and
later other delicatessen entrees to
hungry Americans seeking for a menu
change. According to Fast Food and Junk
Food: An Encyclopedia of What We Love
to Eat, they decided to name it, “Arby’s”
from inspiration of the initials Raffel
Brothers (RB).

An extensive timeline showcased on

Arby’s webpage gives a complete overview of Arby’s events and campaigns since its
opening. Arby’s saw huge success with their diverse meals as they quickly started opening
locations throughout America. By 1980, Arby’s had over 1,000 restaurants and would soon
be opening international locations, their first one being in Japan.

Fast forward to 2000’s where Arby’s had integrated new menu items, such as chicken
sandwiches and salads to adhere to a different cliental. Arby’s was branching out, and had
incorporated value meals, breakfast menus, and even kid’s meals to keep up with
competing fast-food chains. With food groups and menu items appropriate for all age
groups, how did Arby’s fall through the cracks? They had it all going for them: a diverse
menu, a unique concept, but what happened?

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Arby’s Obstacles
Shift in Reputation
For a restaurant that integrated a different
approach to fast-food, how did Arby’s fall
below other restaurant chains? In 2009,
Arby’s started receiving negative sentiment
towards their franchise on popular shows,
such as the Simpsons, where they repeatedly
mock Arby’s in comments such as, “If I can
keep Arby’s down, I can keep you down,” and
associating eating Arby’s only if you had
nothing else to eat.

Economic Decline
Even McDonalds receives negative backlash; however, Arby’s could not economically afford
having their brand name defamed. According to The Wall Street Journal article “Wendy’s
Parts with Arby’s, in 2011, three years after being purchased along with Wendy’s, Arby’s was
sold during a time they were experiencing heavy financial issues. Time reports that Arby’s
underwent an operating loss for the year of $35 million and had 96 restaurant closures.
Additionally, 350 Arby’s locations were late in royalty payments. Arby’s executives blame
their decrease in sales on their high menu prices, especially the signature roast beef
sandwich. Even with the addition of a value menu, Arby’s has not seen an increase in traffic
to get them out of this sticky situation.

Competition
Regardless if Arby’s was one of the
first sandwich fast-food chains, in the
early 2000’s they saw an increase in
sandwich competition. Sandwich and
sub shops such as Jimmy John’s and
Subway were making an entrance in
the conversation, especially due to the
“make your own” aspect. Instead of ordering off a fixed menu, restaurants like Subway
became increasingly popular due because customers could custom make their meals.

This new take on fast-food drove attention away from Arby’s. According to Entrepreneur, in
2009, Arby’s was no. 18 on the Franchise 500 list. However, two years later, Arby’s dropped
to number 132 with Subway ranking at number nine. Arby’s needed to find a way to salvage
their name in the sandwich spotlight once again.

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Situation Analysis
With competitors increasing left to right, and audiences being exposed to different menu
options, Arby’s needed to find a way to regain a favorable reputation with a relevant
audience. Their status had been known as old, washed-up, and not up-to-date with today’s
current trends and consumers.

Problem: Arby’s brand name was declining rapidly and lacking brand recognition amongst
younger generations.

Arby’s teamed up with Edelman to find a way to spark conversation and bring Arby’s name
back into the spotlight. They executed this plan by engaging with celebrities on social media
and through late-night television, popular platforms viewed heavily by younger generations.
By interacting with famous singer, songwriter, and record producer Pharrell Williams at the
GRAMMY’s, and popular comedic late-night television host Jon Stewart, Arby’s successfully
managed to shift attention to their brand using witty tweets and hilarious commercials.

Strengths Weaknesses

 Well-known fast-food  Low online presence

brand  Old, irrelevant
 Credible Twitter account reputation
 Access to social media  Negative opinions on
command center popular TV shows (The
Daily Show, Simpsons)

Opportunities Threats

 Jon Stewart recognition &  No audience feedback

retirement  Negative backlash
 #GRAMMY’s trending on  Trending topics
Twitter overshadowing:
 Celebrity engagement, GRAMMY’s coverage
Pharrell Williams, Jon Stewart

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Research Conducted
Phase 1: Pharrell Williams
The research used to analyze online social commentary used by younger generations was
done by simply reviewing trending tweets. Arby’s was completing their own form of research
by examining how topics trend on Twitter and online discussions during prime television
events. A Twitter blog posted by Arby’s revealed Arby’s created their very own “command
center” where they would partake in social listening and analyze social media trends to find
ways to insert and exit properly into pop-culture conversations.

During the 56th GRAMMY Awards, Arby’s noticed online chatter about the large resemblance
Pharrell’s hat portrayed to the Arby’s logo. After noticing the similarity, Arby’s composed a
Tweet that would soon become iconic and change their brand reputation significantly.

After the tweet, Arby’s had more than 6,000 new followers, gained 48,000 likes, 10,700
replies, and 83,000 retweets just from tweeting at Pharrell, according to an interview with
the author of the tweet, Josh Martin, reported by Marketing Land. Martin also revealed that
Arby’s tweet to Pharrell’s earned 384-times Arby’s normal reach on Twitter.

The tweet prompted online chatter and made Arby’s the topic of discussion post a major
awards ceremony. This resulted in huge success as it made headlines on popular news sites
such as USA Today, NBC, and Rolling Stone, and received replies from other admired brands
including Pepsi and Quaker Oats.

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Research Conducted Cont.
After the “Twitter beef,” Arby’s sought out another way to gain media attention. Pharrell had
decided to auction his Arby’s resembling hat on eBay, with the proceeds benefitting From
One Hand to AnOTHER, his Not for Profit Organization that provides S.T.E.A.M. M. tools to
children. Arby’s received further recognition for giving back to the community after they
purchased the hat for $44,100, according to the Today Show. Arby’s once again was making
headlines due to their large charitable contribution, all stemming from one famous tweet.

Months after the tweet, Pharrell’s hat was later placed on display in the Newseum’s pop
culture exhibit located in Washington, D.C. Cathy Trost, Senior Vice President of exhibits and
programs at the Newseum states in a Today Show article:

“This newsmaking hat represents the power of social

media to connect people around the globe to events as they
are happening.”
Trost’s comment embodies on Arby’s main mission of the role social media plays in this
campaign. Without the power of Twitter and being able to analyze trending topics, Arby’s
would not have had the opportunity to connect with Pharrell, become viral, or even donate
towards his cause.

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Research Conducted Cont.
Phase 2: Jon Stewart
Comedic icon and popular nighttime television host Jon
Stewart is known for his backlash and parodic commentary.
Stewart repeatedly targeted Arby’s, making harsh jokes
such as, “Isn’t there anywhere else we could eat,” and “Why
not challenge your stomach to a fight.” Most brands would
be horrified of Stewarts constant defamation, however,
Arby’s viewed it as a challenge accepted.

Arby’s planned to reply to Stewart, knowing that his

audience was also Arby’s targeted public, a younger
generation. After learning from the success of tweeting out
Pharrell, Arby’s had gained a better understanding of
interacting online and gaining media attention. Since they
had been a “relevant” topic of conversation, Arby’s knew
when to interact and the type of humor to use to receive
positive engagement from their targeted audience.

The researched used to analyze Jon Stewart was simple:

just watch his show. After two years of jokes, Arby’s
planned to retaliate during Jon’s retirement from the host
of The Daily Show, where coverage would be significantly
higher, putting the pressure on Jon to react to Arby’s jokes
one last time.

After analyzing this campaign, Arby’s could have conducted

their own form of primary research. This could have surveyed their targeted audience on
what social platforms they use, how often they eat fast-food, or where they get their news
from. Additionally, Arby’s could have used the following secondary research data to further
enhance their campaign and make sure they were targeting the correct audience:
 Pew Research Center Reports
o 23 percent of online adults use Twitter, 32 percent of those adults are
between the ages of 18-29.
o The median age of The Daily Show viewer is 36, which is significantly younger
then competing late night shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live and Anderson
Cooper 360.
o 43 percent of viewers watch The Daily Show primarily for entertainment
purposes
 Huffington Post Gallup Poll
o 57 percent of adults 18-29 years old consume fast-food weekly
o 47 percent of adults 30-49 years old consume fast-food weekly

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Planning
Arby’s sought out reaching a younger audiences and fans of The
Daily Show by using the following goals, objectives, strategies, and
tactics:

Goals
 Arby’s to gain a favorable reputation amongst younger
generations.

Objectives
 Secure at least 100 media placements within one week of the campaign.
 Increase awareness among younger generations online as measured by an
improvement of Twitter followers by 5 percent.
 Improve perception of Arby’s as savvy brand marketers displayed on popular
headlines of at least 20 outlets.

Strategies
 Monitor Twitter engagement and online chatter regarding pop culture and trending
topics
 Engage with celebrities during highly viewed television segments.
 Generate buzz by responding to public criticism.

Tactics:
 Tweet Pharrell during the GRAMMY’s regarding the similarity of his hat to the Arby’s
logo
 Tweet Jon Stewart offering him a job at Arby’s after his retirement.
 Create two custom ad spots to be aired during Jon Stewart’s final season.
 Create video compilation of Jon Stewarts jokes made about Arby’s.
 Create signature sandwich for Jon Stewart presented during his final season.

In Edelman’s analysis of the campaign, they clearly explained what their main objective was
for the campaign, which was, “to generate positive consumer engagement.” Even though
their goal wasn’t listed, it was implied that they wanted to change consumer opinions
towards their brand, specifically towards younger adults.

By implementing the strategies and tactics, Arby’s could connect to their publics through
social media and The Daily Show, and connecting back to their main branding using Arby’s
signature logo hat as well as creating the “Daily Deli.”

Arby’s messages displayed jokingly humor, appropriate for The Daily Show content which is
known for mocking trending topics. Additionally, while there wasn’t a specific spokesperson,
there was a specific celebrity targeted. Jon Stewart had been taunting Arby’s years, which is
why he seemed an appropriate candidate for Arby’s to interact with.

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Arby’s Last Laugh Elements
Since the GRAMMY’s, Arby’s knew there would be moments online that would allow them to
enter the conversation. So, when frenemy Jon Stewart announced his retirement, Arby’s
knew coverage would be high, allowing them to increase their media coverage. According to
Edelman’s report, Arby’s executed the following campaign elements:

Part 1: Job Offering

Arby’s reached out to Jon via Twitter offering him
a job. Jon aired the tweet on his show and
responded by saying, “That's right, Arby's, this
motherf—ing thing ain't over. I do not accept your
peace offering. We shall always be enemies! For
while you are a worthy adversary, you shall be
vanquished.”

Part 2: Ad Spots
During Jon’s second to last show, Arby’s aired two
commercials tailored to mock Jon. The first one was a
compilation of unflattering Arby references with the
appropriate theme music of, “Thank You for Being a
Friend.” The second clip aired an Arby’s sandwich
with the phrase, “Not sure why, but we’ll miss you.”

Part 3: “Daily Deli”

Arby’s also introduced Jon with his own sandwich
called the “Daily Deli.” The “Daily Deli” would be a
secret menu item served as a tribute Jon’s favorite
sandwich, double corned beef on rye.

Part 4: Paul Brown

During Jon’s final show, Arby’s CEO Paul Brown
aired as a surprise guest to put an ending to the
Arby’s Jon Stewart feud. Audience members
were provided with Arby’s meals prior to
entering the show.

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Implementation
Arby’s successfully implemented their
campaign due to their creative and witty
responses to Pharrell Williams and Jon Stewart
via Twitter and YouTube. There was no budget
listed on Edelman’s report of the campaign,
however The Wall Street Journal reported that
ad rates during Jon’s final season estimated
around $46,200 for a 30 second spot.

Successful Campaign Aspects

 Humor: According to Howard Communication Associates, Arby’s good-natured
response to public criticism drew positive attention to their brand and set an example
for other struggling businesses to get in on the laugh.
 Targeted Audience: By targeting social media and late night television, Arby’s could
effectively reach a younger generation using platforms they are known to engage on.
 Brand Recognition: Arby’s managed to associate this campaign back to their main
brand by tying together Arby’s signature logo hat, as well as creating the “Daily Deli.”
 Relevant: By analyzing content via their command center, Arby’s used the GRAMMY’s
and Jon Stewart’s retirement as a platform to not only interact with celebrities and
pop culture, but increase media coverage towards their brand.
 Memorable: Arby’s Last Laugh campaign proved to have positively impacted Arby’s
brand post campaign, for they now have a comedic reputation throughout their social
channels and Pharrell’s hat is still being discussed today.
 Improvisation: Arby’s took a chance by tweeting during the GRAMMY’s. It wasn’t
something planned or thought out prior, it was simply checking social media at the
right place, right time. Arby’s went all in with the slight chance failure.
 Longevity: This campaign allowed Arby’s to stay relevant for a significant period.
Regardless if there was high reach from both press and fans during and after the
campaign, Arby’s avoided abusing too much of their online freedom and creativity.
 Social Platforms: Appropriate use of Twitter and online ad placements.

Campaign Recommendations
 Theme: Use the phrase, “Last Laugh” more to implement key campaign message,
possibly incorporate into hashtag.
 Foundation Awareness: Use the platform to highlight Arby’s foundation to end
childhood hunger.
 Research: Use appropriate methods of research to analyze targeted audience, such
as, focus groups, surveys, interviews, etc….

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Evaluation
Edelman and Arby’s measured the success of the campaign by reviewing media coverage
and consumer engagement. The coverage consisted of reviewing media impressions from
Arby’s tweet to Jon Stewart, as well as the YouTube views from the two custom ad spots that
aired during The Daily Show.

Prior to this campaign, Arby’s wanted to increase consumers’ opinions and be known as
confident and successful brand marketers. The program met Arby’s objectives and goals for
headlines and articles had attributed Arby’s for having a new reputation for the savvy
marketing implemented.

Results:
Arby’s career tweet to Jon Stewart
received 31 million earned media
impressions by 100+ media
placements, securing coverage in
publications such as Washington
Post, Business Insider, The Wall
Street Journal, and more.
Additionally, the tweet received
1,930 retweets and 2,489
favorites.

The two ad commercials that aired during The Daily Show received 52 million earned media
impressions with 350+ media placements, securing coverage in publications such as The
New York Post, Ad Week, Rolling Stone, and more. Furthermore, “Thank you for being a
friend,” ad received 1,476,045 views on YouTube.

One major campaign success was Arby’s ability to land an article from Suzanne Vranica, one
of Wall Street Journal’s most prominent marketing and advertising journalists. Her article
titled, “Arby’s to Jon Stewart: No Hard Feelings” included analytics from The Daily Show and
detailed coverage throughout the whole campaign. Vranica also included Arby’s in The Wall
Street Journals, “Best and Worst Ads of 2015,” highlighting their creative and highly
acclaimed Last Laugh campaign.

Interacting with The Daily Show via social media ultimately increased awareness from
marketers. According to Vranica’s article, when a television show engages online and
participates in online conversation, consumers are known to be more engaged.

After Arby’s saw the overwhelming amount of positive reactions to their engagement with
Pharrell and Jon Stewart, they continued to adapt the same techniques. Since then, they
have kept a humorous, fun, and playful tone on Twitter. The Arby’s account incorporates
current trends, such as memes and GIFs, and interacts with fans by retweeting or
responding to their tags.

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Personal Analysis
After analyzing countless Silver Anvil cases in class and for homework I was excited to read
through a campaign on my own from start to finish. I was interested in learning about Arby’s
campaign, mostly because the cases we have discussed so far are heartwarming, tear
jerking campaigns. However, this one was not the case. Arby’s by far had the most creative
and unique campaign I had seen so far and I completely understand why this won a Silver
Anvil. Their ability to step into the spotlight and create a new reputation as a hilarious brand
that can mock about themselves is quite impressive.

As a PR professional, I understand why this case received so much recognition. It was smart
for Arby’s to do their research on trends, such as analyzing social media, especially since
Twitter was on the rise in 2014. It would only be until a matter of time that the right
opportunity would present itself to them on their Twitter feed, which it did! Therefore, my
opinion of PR opportunities remains unchanged. Hundreds of opportunities are displayed
every day, for example on Twitter, it just takes the right amount of research and the right
angle to connect your brand.

One aspect I was confused with was the research regarding this campaign. In the summary
report provided by Edelman, there was no clear form of research it seemed they had
conducted. Is analyzing Twitter a research method? Is watching Jon Stewart’s show a
research method? Yes, they wanted to target younger generations, but what was the
research done to understand why Arby’s chose to interact with Twitter and The Daily Show.
Edelman could have highlighted their research by doing a survey or focus group, to gain
statistical data from the campaign and make it more credible.

Additionally, Edelman’s campaign only used the term “younger generations.” However, what
age group does that classify as? What is the cut off age they were trying to target? By stating
a specific number or age group, Arby’s could have had a clearer primary audience instead of
just listing “younger generations.”

Arby’s impressed me by how they approached Jon

Stewart’s jokes. Normally, brands and companies
would get revenge on Jon, seek out bad press or
not intervene. It was bold and risk taking of Arby’s
to interact and I could see numerous ways in which
the situation would have failed. Even though this
was a one-time campaign, I believe Arby’s should
keep up with their humorous and comedic persona
via online for it seems to be working regarding
popular brand recognition and maintaining relevant
reputation amongst younger generations.

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