Wendy’s plays ‘Fortnite’ on Twitch to launch Baconfest

Brief:

• Wendy’s on July 17 returned to Twitch to play the hit game “Fortnite” with its digital avatar and live-streamed the action to promote the launch of Baconfest, per an announcement. The burger chain’s Twitch channel offered free Baconator sandwiches to the first 1,000 viewers who placed an order through delivery service Doordash while using the code “BACON.”
• Wendy’s is also offering free Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers with no delivery fee for customers who use the code “BACONFEST” while placing a food order from Doordash. Customers need to spend a minimum of $10 to get the free offer, which started on July 17 and runs through July 21.
• Free Baconator Fries are being offered to customers who place an order through its mobile app until Aug. 25. App users need to register an account, and can order the free fries for one time only or while supplies last, per its announcement.

Insight:

Wendy’s Baconfest returned to previously used tactics like building a presence on Twitch as it looks to reach younger consumers who are more likely to be fans of videogames and to order food through mobile apps. The burger chain is tapping into the growing popularity of watching others play videogames like through livestreams on digital platforms such as Twitch, which is owned by Amazon. Twitch is the No. 1 platform for streaming live video, accounting for 70% of all livestreamed hours watched during Q2 2019, per a study by StreamElements.

The biggest challenge with Twitch is that most of its viewing time is centered on the activity of its 5,000 most popular streamers. The concentration of viewership typically means that brands need to partner with popular streamers like Tfue, Shroud and Ninja for endorsement deals. Wendy’s Twitch channel only has about 27,000 followers, possibly indicating that few Twitch viewers are willing to watch branded channels. The video of the burger chain’s avatar, which resembles Wendy’s pigtailed mascot, playing “Fortnite” was viewed more than 1,700 times as of the morning of July 18. Wendy’s has had more social-media success on Twitter, where the brand expresses a humorous, sassy persona that has built up a following of 3.24 million users.

Wendy’s earned accolades for a similar campaign called “Keeping Fortnite Fresh” that featured an in-game demonstration of the evils of frozen beef. Agency VMLY&R created a Wendy’s avatar for the game who ignored other players instead of trying to shoot at them, a key object of “Fortnite.” Instead, the Wendy’s avatar entered burger restaurants inside the game’s unpopulated cityscape, located the freezers and destroyed them, Ad Age reported. The campaign demonstrated how brands can adapt to the viewing habits of younger audiences who have shunned traditional media channels like TV and print in favor playing games like “Fortnite” or watching other players on Twitch.

Similarly, Nike’s Jordan Brand also created an integrated campaign with “Fortnite” that featured new avatars showing off some of the athletic apparel brand’s signature sneakers in the game.