In November 2018, Wendy’s and VMLY&R capitalized on Fortnite’s new Food Fight mode, which pitted Team Burger against Team Pizza. Noticing that Team Burger stored beef in freezers—a practice Wendy’s opposes—the brand created a custom character resembling Wendy. Instead of engaging in traditional gameplay, they focused on destroying in-game freezers, broadcasting the mission live on Twitch.
This unconventional approach resonated with the gaming community, leading to over 1.5 million minutes watched and a 119% increase in brand mentions across social platforms. The campaign’s success was recognized with multiple awards, including a Cannes Lions Grand Prix.
