Digital & Social · Global · 2017
Wendy’s: #NuggsForCarter
A teenager asked Wendy’s how many retweets he needed for free nuggets for a year. Wendy’s said 18 million.
By Maer Media editorial teamPublished 4 October 20263 min readWendy’s social team with VMLContent & Social · Conversation & AI
- Brand
- Wendy’s
- Market
- Global
- Year
- 2017
- Category
- Digital & Social
- Agency or team
- Wendy’s social team with VML
- Channels
The context
Wendy’s had built a sharp, funny Twitter voice and an audience that expected replies.
Audiences expect witty replies.
The move
Carter Wilkerson tweeted the question; Wendy’s replied “18 million”. The internet joined in, with other brands and celebrities retweeting.
How it was executed
- Set the target at 18 million retweets.
- Joined the game.
- Kept the promise.
A teenager asked Wendy’s how many retweets he needed for free nuggets for a year. Wendy’s said 18 million.
What happened Reported facts
The tweet passed 3.4 million retweets, briefly the most-retweeted ever. Wendy’s gave Carter his nuggets and donated $100,000 to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.
Why it worked Maer’s analysis
Playfulness plus generosity built goodwill.
What to take from it Maer’s analysis
- 01A distinct social voice creates moments you can’t plan.
- 02Say yes to the audience’s game.
- 03Close the loop with generosity.
Indian brands can join social games while staying on brand.
Where Maer applies this
The same thinking runs through these brand templates:
Sources: Twitter (2017); Wendy’s. Figures are as publicly reported; Maer Media was not involved in this work and is not affiliated with Wendy’s.
The Maer Media editorial team studies how brands are built, from positioning and packaging to launches and growth. Figures in each case study come from the public sources listed above; the analysis and the India notes are our own. More about Maer
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