Buzz
Quick service restaurants (QSRs), a term used in the industry, describe chain eateries that emphasize speed and affordability as their primary selling points. Commonly referred to as fast food, these establishments are often linked to less favorable traits such as poor quality, unhealthy choices, and being a last-minute option. Comedian Bill Burr humorously noted that these restaurants cater mainly to two groups: children and those under the influence.
Similar to the term QSR, these restaurants are always seeking innovative ways to reinvent their image and shed the negative connotations tied to the label 'fast food.' This list highlights some of the creative strategies these chains have employed to either defy stereotypes or fully embrace them, aiming to attract a broader audience.
10. McDonald’s Artistic Posters
This promotion has an interesting backstory. In 1998, McDonald’s introduced a Szechuan dipping sauce for their chicken nuggets as part of a tie-in with Disney’s Mulan. The campaign faded into obscurity until April 2017, when an episode of the animated series Rick and Morty brought the sauce back into the spotlight. The show’s massive online following sparked a viral frenzy, with fans flocking to McDonald’s locations to demand the sauce. Eventually, McDonald’s responded by re-releasing the sauce for a limited period.
Observing the public’s intense fascination with the Szechuan dipping sauce (their term, not mine), McDonald’s launched a campaign for their Buttermilk Crispy Tenders, spotlighting their range of dipping sauces. Collaborating with Delicious Design League, the fast-food giant produced a collection of posters that embodied the spirit of nine distinct sauces: Honey, Honey Mustard, Creamy Ranch, Signature, Buffalo, Hot Mustard, Sriracha Mac Sauce, Sweet and Sour, and Tangy Barbeque. The designs were surprisingly captivating, including one dedicated to the Szechuan sauce. Although no longer sold officially, these posters can still be found on eBay, often at exorbitant prices.
9. Einstein Bros. Bagels’ Morning Wake-Up Sounds
For many, mornings are a battle, and food often serves as the ultimate motivator. Einstein Bros. Bagels tapped into this universal truth with a clever promotion. To help people start their day on a positive note, they introduced downloadable wake-up tones in mp3 format, featuring sounds like sizzling bacon, brewing coffee, frying eggs, and a crowing rooster. As an added incentive, downloading these appetizing tones came with a voucher for a free egg sandwich.
Let’s be honest: this promotion feels like a megacorporation’s attempt to subtly influence the masses or even create sleeper agents. Download these tones, get a free egg sandwich—what’s the harm, right? Then, use those tones daily to motivate yourself to enjoy their food. Sounds harmless, but the timing of the site’s shutdown, which prevents verifying if the tones contained subliminal messages, is quite convenient.
8. Taco Bell’s Fashion Collaboration with Forever 21
Taco Bell and fashion aren’t typically two concepts I’d pair together. My thoughts usually drift to late-night cravings, indulgent treats, and the inevitable next-day remorse. That’s why it was quite a shock to learn that in 2017, Taco Bell collaborated with Forever 21 to launch a distinctive clothing line. The collection was unveiled at a late-night fashion show complete with a DJ, fan-selected models, and two individuals who gained fame for taking their senior photos at Taco Bell.
Surprisingly, the clothing line was a massive hit, with many items selling out almost immediately. While the designs and ideas are undeniably stylish, these outfits are clearly tailored for the young and fit (definitely not me) rather than someone like me, who shows up at midnight in messy sweatpants, eager to devour a few crunchwraps.
7. Burger King’s Whopper Severance Promotion
Heads up: Burger King will appear multiple times on this list. They’re a prime example of a QSR fully leaning into their fast-food persona and amplifying it with some truly unconventional campaigns (remember the video game they created?).
The first promotion we’re examining is the Whopper Severance Package. Burger King offered a free Whopper to anyone who confessed to being fired from their job. Their PR statement declared, 'Getting fired might not be fun, but at Burger King, getting fired like the flame-grilled Whopper sandwich is always a good thing.' Sure, the pun was a bit forced, but it’s an inventive way to attract potential employees. After all, you got fired, but now you’ve got a free Whopper—why not fill out a job application while you’re here?
You might be wondering, why not just lie to snag a free Whopper? Here’s the catch: you must publicly announce your job termination on LinkedIn using specific hashtags. Burger King will then send you a voucher link to redeem at your nearest location. The irony? Their press release explicitly states that LinkedIn isn’t officially involved in the promotion. I can only imagine how thrilled LinkedIn was about that.
6. Paving for Pizza
This campaign stands out as one of the most heartwarming on the list. After receiving countless complaints about pizzas arriving in poor condition, Domino’s decided to investigate. By placing cameras inside pizza boxes during deliveries, they discovered that rough roads were to blame for the damage. This led to the creation of the Paving for Pizza initiative, encapsulated by the slogan, 'Bad roads shouldn’t happen to good pizza.'
Through Paving for Pizza, Domino’s offered grants to local governments to repair roads, ensuring customers received their pizzas in perfect condition. Customers could submit their zip codes, and the areas with the most submissions were selected for the program. Domino’s then provided $5,000 grants to these municipalities, along with branded road signs and stencils. The campaign successfully reached its target of 50 towns across 50 states, with the Paving for Pizza website showcasing photos and stories of its impact.
This initiative was not only clever but also beneficial to many communities. Plus, it served as an ingenious way for Domino’s to gather marketing insights by identifying their largest customer bases through zip code submissions. Now, if only I were a fan of their pizza…
5. Burger King’s Nightmare King
While the previous campaign was heartwarming, this one is downright sinister. Released just in time for Halloween 2018, this burger featured a 1/4 beef patty, crispy chicken fillet, melted American cheese, thick-cut bacon, mayonnaise, onions, and a green-glazed bun. Though the sandwich looked terrifying, its true purpose was even more unsettling. Burger King claimed that eating this burger would induce nightmares.
To back up their claim, Burger King collaborated with sleep experts to conduct a scientific study. Over 10 nights, 100 participants were observed, and the results showed that consuming the Nightmare King made individuals times more likely to have nightmares. Participants reported dreams like transforming into a snake or being attacked by aliens on a boat. Researchers theorized that the unique combination of proteins and cheese disrupted the REM cycle, causing these unsettling dreams.
It seems Burger King was so focused on whether they could create such a burger that they never stopped to consider if they should. In my opinion, Burger King is on par with Einstein Bros. when it comes to questionable motives. While Domino’s is out fixing potholes, Burger King is busy trying to give people nightmares. Sadly, I couldn’t find any reviews that included dream experiences, which feels like a missed opportunity for Burger King. Imagine a dedicated blog on their website showcasing customer-submitted nightmares—now that would be something.
4. The Arby’s Marrot
Arby’s is often viewed as the lowest tier, even within the fast-food industry. Their straightforward approach is encapsulated in their slogan, 'We have the meats,' which they take to heart with this latest stunt. While many QSR chains are embracing plant-based options to cater to vegans and vegetarians, Arby’s has made it clear they won’t follow suit. A spokesperson for the brand firmly stated that Arby’s will not be joining this trend.
To emphasize their commitment to meat, Arby’s introduced the concept of the 'megetable'—a play on the word 'vegetable' but with an 'm.' The megetable is a meat-based imitation of a vegetable. Their first creation, the marrot, is a meat carrot made from turkey breast. Surprisingly, it looks and tastes remarkably like a real carrot, packing 30 grams of protein and 70% of your daily vitamin A. Ironically, the only area where it falls short is texture, a common critique of plant-based meat alternatives.
Although the marrot isn’t yet available at Arby’s locations, the brand has released a recipe video so you can make your own at home. They’ve also hinted at developing more megetables and potentially adding them to their menu in the future. While PETA might criticize Arby’s for being outdated, the chain is leaning into its reputation. Soon, you might find these meat-based 'healthy' alternatives at your nearest Arby’s!
3. GarfieldEATS
'In 40 years, no one has ever pitched me an idea as wild as GarfieldEATS, the world’s first interactive Garfield-themed quick mobile restaurant app,' says Jim Davis, the creator of Garfield. I couldn’t agree more. GarfieldEATS operates as a QMR (quick mobile restaurant), functioning as a delivery service app you download on your phone. Through the app, you can order Garfield-shaped pizzas, lasagna (of course), garfuccinos (Garfield-themed cappuccinos), and smoothies, all delivered straight to your door.
Jim Davis used the term 'entergaging,' a blend of entertaining and engaging, to describe the GarfieldEATS app. While waiting for your order, you can watch clips from the Garfield and Friends TV show, play games, and interact with other Garfield fans. By doing so, you earn 'paws,' which can be redeemed for goupons (not to be confused with Groupons!).
GarfieldEATS has expanded to several cities worldwide, including Dubai and Toronto. While Garfield is famous for his orange fur, the brand emphasizes its eco-friendly approach, using electric scooters for deliveries and reusable packaging. The meme-worthy appeal of the iconic cat has undoubtedly boosted the venture’s charm. However, it’s hard to deny the ambitious nature of this project, which has the full backing of the Garfield licensers and founder Nathan Mazri.
Sadly, high prices, inconsistent food quality, app glitches, and the pandemic contributed to the company’s decline. As of 2021, the GarfieldEATS website has been shut down. Nathan Mazri often quoted Garfield’s famous line, 'Love me, feed me, never leave me,' and it’s hard not to feel like we’ve let him down.
2. KFC’s Recipe for Seduction
It’s no exaggeration to say Kentucky Fried Chicken’s reputation is on par with Arby’s. After all, they’ve created menu items like a bowl filled with a mix of their offerings, catering to those who’ve simply given up. Yet, despite this, KFC holds a unique spot in many hearts as the epitome of 'comfort food.' In today’s digital era, comfort food isn’t just about what we eat—it also encompasses the media we consume.
In this context, KFC’s collaboration with Lifetime to create a holiday romance film feels perfectly fitting. Recipe for Seduction is a Lifetime original short film featuring the charismatic Mario Lopez as Colonel Harland Sanders, the iconic face of KFC. In the film, the Colonel becomes a live-in chef for a financially troubled elite family and develops a romantic connection with the daughter. Predictably, the mother disapproves and plots to sabotage their relationship while attempting to steal the Colonel’s secret fried chicken recipe, which he believes will revolutionize the world.
The film debuted on Lifetime on December 13, 2020. To enhance the viewing experience, KFC offered six free crispy tenders with Uber Eats orders of $20 or more. While the film was clearly tongue-in-cheek, it received mostly positive reviews, though one critic aptly noted, 'This is yet another example of how corporate advertising blatantly infiltrates everyday spaces like film and social media.'
That said, the film concluded with a cliffhanger, leaving me eagerly anticipating a sequel.
1. Carl’s Jr. Rocky Mountain High Burger
Timing is everything for QSR franchises, and Carl’s Jr. nailed it with this burger. Launched in Denver and named after a John Denver song, Carl’s Jr. announced the release of their CBD-infused burger on 4/20/2019, capitalizing on the cultural significance of the date.
The burger included two patties, Santa Fe sauce infused with locally sourced CBD, pickled jalapenos, pepper jack cheese, and Crisscut fries. The CBD-infused burgers were a hit, prompting Carl’s Jr. to consider adding it as a permanent menu item. 'It’s a one-day, one-location thing; I’m here, so why not?' remarked one customer, a sentiment that perfectly captures the mindset of those drawn to this unique offering. Like Arby’s, Carl’s Jr. is leaning into the stereotypes associated with fast food and Colorado culture.
