in 2017, for example — it has only gotten stronger in the pandemic era, as food brands attempted to become a part of their customers’ new daily routines.“I’m wondering if part of the strategy is: ‘Okay, if people are not interacting from locations, what would it mean for them to wear our products elsewhere?’ People do not take these things lightly when they plan them,” said Marcia Chatelain, a professor at Georgetown University and the author of “Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America.
that Arby’s chief marketing officer, Rita Patel, said “was a great way to bring the brand to life through not just our food products, but to also be ingrained in culture in a way that allows Arby’s to step outside its comfort zone … where we can make a connection back to the brand.” In recent years, Arby’s has also launched french fry vodka, meat-scented clothing and a 10-gallon felt hat.
That kind of advertising finds power in its sheer visibility. “All of this stuff is super visual. All of it is recognizable in a thumb scroll,” Sklar added. “People have about a microsecond of attention, and they scroll past, and you need to be able to have an advertisement that [works] fast.”But the internet has also facilitated the kinds of communities that this food franchise merchandising thrives on.