2023 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

Wendy’s Canada had just completed several key upgrades to its mobile app and wanted to get more users to download and use it. Though the features were new news for Wendy’s, they were old news in the world of QSR apps.

Wendy’s seriously lagged behind its key competitors in app functionality and user experience, and it was imperative that it get back in the digital fight. To do it, Wendy’s had to get Canadians excited about the Wendy’s app by giving them a good reason to download and continue to use it.

In trying to tackle this, McCann looked at the reasons people download QSR apps.

They found that people are more likely to download an app that features special offers and promotions – things they simply cannot get in-store.

Looking at Wendy’s customers specifically, exclusive offers were by far the biggest reason for downloading and using the Wendy’s app.

With category leaders McDonald’s and Tim Hortons already pushing special offers to millions of people every day, McCann needed to cut through the noise and prove to customers that they can get something truly special by downloading the Wendy's app.

They launched The Wendy’s Phone, custom-made for Wendy’s fans – a phone that can do everything a smartphone can, plus tons of extra features, including a custom one-of-a-kind voice assistant: Hey Wendy. They even designed a secret menu and a contact for Wendy herself, so the QSR could stay in direct contact
with their biggest fans.

To get one, all you had to do was download the Wendy’s app and share a pic of your favourite order on Twitter. Baconator and fries? You’re entered. Frosty and a salad? Weird, but you’re entered.

After teasing the launch in a mysterious online social video, McCann put out a call-to-enter on social media. They had some of YouTube’s most famous unboxers show their fans what the Wendy’s Phone was all about.

The campaign culminated in a livestream hosted by the Hey Wendy voice assistant as they gave out the last Wendy’s Phone.

The hype paid off across social. People tweeted about it, podcasted about it, unboxed it, and even smashed their old phone to prove they needed a new one.

This success meant the team was able to cut through the noise and make Canadians aware of their app, with over 14 million earned and organic impressions. On Twitter @WendysCanada mentions increased +1257%, and the launch tweet alone had an engagement rate of 18.6%, obliterating the category norm of 0.04%.

Thousands of Canadians shared their favourite order to enter, and in just over a week they hit 40,000 new downloads, a 24% increase and new record.

They also saw a 250% year-over-year increase in mobile transactions per store, a 240% increase in mobile sales per store and moved the Wendy’s app’s position in the App Store restaurant category up eight places.

Credits

McCann Credits:
Chief Strategy Officer: AJ Jones
Strategy: Liam Brown
Chief Creative Officer: Josh Stein
Creative Directors: Amy O’Neill, Bill Schaefer
Art Director: Kyle Shields, Jonathan Guy
Copywriter: Mike Takasaki
VP, Executive Producer: Jacqueline Bellmore
Account Management: Patrick O’Donovan, Alexandra Lindsay, Theo Wolski-Davis
McCann PR: Diane Ridgway-Cross
Social Media Management: Brad Richardson, Phil Dos Santos
IT: Andy Langs, Simon Gauvin

Initiative Credits (Media):
Vice President, Client Advice & Management: Ishma Alexander-Huet
Group Account Director: Raichelle Ursua
Supervisor, Communications Design: Emily Johnston
Senior Communication Designer: Christina White

Ketchum Credits (PR):
Managing Director: Erin Manning
Vice President: Bernard Cote
Associate Account Executive: Emily Keen

CRAFT Credits:
Director - Travis Wood
Photographer - Travis Wood
DOP – Alex Tong
Producers -Wendy Linton and Kristina Loschiavo
Editor/VFX - Emmett Crofton-Maloney
Engineer – Dino Cuzzolino
Retoucher - Jean-Pierre Goulet
Senior Project Manager – Tiffany Punnett

Production Credits:
Dhruv Works
Chief Connection Officer /Account Manager - Gail Dhruv

Scale3C
Project Manager - Monika Glinskyte
Mobile Engineer - Mindaugas Cesna
Account Executive - Laurynas Pletkus

247 Integrated Inc | An Astley Gilbert Company Ltd
Account Executive - Mike Sanham
Production Manager - Jeff Easun

St Denis Studios Inc
Voice Director/Engineer – Roger St-Denis

Talent
Talent – Liane de Lotbinière