Wendy’s + Snapchat: “Can We Yap Now?” Campaign Breaks Records with 52M Impressions in a Day
When I came across this article on Wendy's marketing campaign, I was instantly consumed. As someone who appreciates creative marketing and is interested in how brands stay relevant with younger audiences, I found this campaign both brilliant and hilarious. Wendy's has a long history of staying relevant in internet culture using Gen Z humor, but this marketing campaign took it to the next level --- using Snapchat's newest ad opportunity, Sponsored Snaps.
Summary
- Massive Impressions -- Wendy's reached 52 million impressions in one day, the highest among all advertisers during Snapchat's Sponsored Snaps alpha test.
- Strong Engagement -- The campaign generated 120,000+ clicks and led to an over 17% lift in brand ad awareness, with organic Snapchat followers increasing by 54%.
- Buzzy Branding -- The ad itself was simple: a photo of a Wendy's sign with the message "Can we yap now," playing into the brand's cheeky tone and connecting with Snapchat's younger audience.
This campaign marked the first time Snapchat publicly shared performance metrics for a Sponsored Snap, making it a significant move both for Wendy's and Snapchat's advertising future.
Value Proposition
Wendy's brings fresh, high-quality fast food served quickly and affordably. But what makes them stand out is their brand personality --- witty, bold, and culturally sharp. They don't just sell burgers; they sell an experience of fun and familiarity, especially on social media.
Visit wendys.com to see more of their brand in action.
Marketing Relevance: What They're Doing
This campaign falls under platform-specific ad strategy. Wendy's used Snapchat's Sponsored Snaps --- a new ad format that lets companies send videos directly to the inboxes of users. Users can interact by replying or following a "call to action" link, making the ad feel like a message from a friend rather than a traditional commercial.
This is called precision marketing --- reaching Snapchat's core youthful audience in the exact environment and format that they interact with the most. It's playful, direct, and platform specific --- all key traits of successful modern marketing.
Challenges and Competitive Edge
The fast food industry is vast and face heavy competition (McDonald's, Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A) and have to constantly adapt to stay on top. Ad blockers, digital fatigue, and short attention spans make it tough to get real engagement with the Gen Z demographic. Wendy's approach is effective because it breaks through the noise with humor, direct delivery, and relevance. The challenge you ask? Staying relevant without overdoing the personality.
Snapchat, on the other hand, is competing with TikTok and Instagram for ad dollars. Sponsored Snaps offer message-based advertising --- a more personal and interruptive format. That way it can deliver a massive reach without being intrusive.
What Makes It Uniqueness
What's Unique is the "chat-like" ad delivery --- Sponsored Snaps mimic messages from a friend, not a Company. Wendy's used this to their advantage with the relatable and youthful "Can we yap now?" message and personalized caption "Saw this and thought of u <3." This type of language speaks directly to Gen Z's meme culture with a short-form content vibe.
Critique and What I'd Do Differently
This was incredibly productive --- the 52 million impressions speak for themselves. But if I were the marketing brand manager, I would use Sponsored Snaps consistently as a tool to market and connect with Gen Z. This means I'd build out a campaign series, not just a one-off Snap. For example:
- A follow-up "yap" Snap where users could vote on new menu items or items to bring back
- Make exclusive deals to Snapchat users who replied
Takeaways
I learned how a simple message (literally a sentence and photo combined), delivered through the right platform can have a huge impact when paired with precision marketing. Wendy's Sponsored Snapchat campaign is a masterclass in understanding your audience and leveraging content formats to meet them where they are.
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