I remember fondly the cool new slogan Arby’s came out with a few years ago, “I’m thinking Arby’s.”
The simplicity of the message actually got me thinking about Arby’s again, or well, for the first time ever.
And so it happened.
Good marketing added Arby’s to my radar of fast food options. Dare I say “brilliant?” I did. It was so perfect that I told other people how much I respected Arby’s for their marketing. I talked about it during presentations to clients and to aspiring entrepreneurs. I’m serious.
So imagine my surprise to find the tagline changed to “It’s Good Mood Food.” Huh? Yeah, what does that mean? If I have to ask, it doesn’t work as a tagline.
GOOD MOOD FOOD?!
Do I need to be in a good mood to eat at Arby’s? If I’m in that good of a mood I’ll probably splurge for a place with a wait staff. What if I’m in a bad mood? Can I still eat at Arby’s? Is there some secret magic super sauce filled with antidepressants within mayo that we just don’t know about?
I go to Arby’s because it’s convenient and my kids dig the dollar menu ham and cheese sandwiches. Arby’s isn’t a destination for our family, it’s an “Oh, there’s an Arby’s, we’re hungry, that works” kind of place. The only mood I have when I am rocking an Arby’s drive through line is making four hungry kids chill out. (Personal Tip: Full mouths = reduced car drama).
Clearly this “Good Mood Food” concept is a rip off of McDonald’s “I’m lovin’ it.” – but I hate to break it to you, Arby’s, you aren’t EVER going to be Micky D’s. Fact.
Three guesses for the change…
Unlikely Reason: Have you searched “I’m Thinking Arby’s” on the Urban Dictionary? Yikes! Consider yourself warned, but I wouldn’t advise this kind of expedition.
Somewhat Likely: The corporate folks at Arby’s looked at sales numbers and believed that not enough people were “Thinking Arby’s” when they spent their dollars on fast food grub.
Most Likely: My best guess is that the corporate marketing team grew tired of it. Chances are if you are sick and tired of hearing your tagline and your own brand’s story, your best bet is to deal with it. McDonald’s has been loving it since 2003 and Burger King has let you have it your way since 2004 (originally launched 1974). Instead of sticking with it, Arby’s should have built on top of the “I’m Thinking Arby’s” campaign. The tagline, as they say, “has legs.”
Here’s the Arby’s Corporate Line:
“This campaign (Good Mood Food) is focused on our target audience, Balance Seekers, who want and need to eat fast food because of their busy lifestyles, but do not want to feel guilty about eating it. They’re telling us that Arby’s has something over other fast food restaurants… a balance of higher quality, more wholesome food that they can feel good about eating,” says Steve Davis, chief marketing officer of Arby’s Restaurant Group. “We like to think that stopping by Arby’s makes their day a little brighter. With this campaign, we’re recommitting our team to inspire good moods each and every day,” Davis says.
Advice for Mr. Steve Davis:
Here’s how Arby’s could have reached “Balance Seekers” and accomplished your stated goals without changing your tagline. We call it the ”I’m thinking Arby’s because…” campaign:
1. I’m thinking Arby’s because…I have a busy lifestyle but don’t have to feel guilty with their food.
2. I’m thinking Arby’s because…Higher quality, more wholesome food makes me feel good.
3. I’m thinking Arby’s because…I want something different.
4. I’m thinking Arby’s because…I want to be in a good mood when I’m eating, and 15 minutes after I’m done eating.
5. I’m thinking Arby’s because… Arby’s has something for everyone I need to feed.
Maybe even have real people tell the stories for you. I just did.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I went at least a couple months not having any idea knowing what they were saying, spent at least a couple more weeks thinking it was ‘Good Good Food’ before getting to where I am now, which is being glad I am not curious about what they are saying so I can tune it out.
Good Good Food? Isn’t that a double positive? : )
Thanks for chiming in Michael!
I read every word of this post until I got to: Here’s the Arby’s Corporate Line. I assume the Arby’s creative team didn’t have the same luxury.
Pretty profound, sir. And probably right on the money. Sometimes I wonder how some campaigns make it past the “brain storming” stage.
I totally agree with Michael. I spent the better part of this campaign wondering why they would use – Good Good Food as their slogan. It wasn’t until I saw a commercial that actually SPELLED out their slogan that I realized what they were talking about. And AFTER I knew what they were really saying, I think I actually liked Arby’s even less. Not that their food is bad. And I can just never remember what else they serve up besides a roast beef and curly fries. They should have stuck with their previous efforts. I’m thinking ……I’ll go across the street to McDs.
Has Arby’s ever had good advertising? Does anyone remember Oven Mitt from a few years ago? Arby’s has good food, which is why they seem to survive their terrible, terrible advertising.
But I agree, this is a new crappy low. The slogan is kind of nonsensical, the voice/character is really obnoxious, and the whole campaign seems to be an attempt to appeal to the youtube generation with a low budget/amateur feeling. I can’t stand their advertising.