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Arby's Current Advertising Campaign: "Slicing Up the Truth"

I hate Arby's current advertising campaign, "Slicing Up the Truth."  I've mentioned more than once on Facebook and Twitter that, this campaign makes me crave Subway more, than it makes me want to run out to Arby's.
I tweeted at Arby's the other day:

Your current commercials with Bo just make me want more! The last few trips to Arby's have been AWFUL! 
Arby's Responded:
 
We're sorry to hear that, Heather. Can you let our customer service team know more about your visits here:

 So, I went to their web site and explained that I found the new marketing campaign's commericals really annoying, and they made me crave Subway. 
I also explained that, the last few times I've been to Arby's, the food hasn't been that great, ingredients kept not being on my sandwich, like bacon, and that my favorite item, the Super Roast Beef had been removed from the menu.  I explained that I had gone through the drive through quite a few times, and that by the time I would get to where I was able to eat and figured out the sandwich was wrong, it was to far and too late for me to go back.  I then gave them the location of the Arby's that I had been going to.

This is the response that I received for my complaint:

Dear Ms. Pechin,



Thank you for sharing your feedback on our new advertising campaign, Slicing Up the Truth About 
Freshness. We appreciate your concern and want to assure you that we are not making any claims to 
freshness.

We are not claiming that we taste better than Subway, or that they have low quality products. Instead, 
we’re only celebrating one of the staples that Arby’s was founded on – that we freshly slice meat in our 
restaurants every day. Not all restaurant chains, including Subway, can make this claim.

Again, thank you for your feedback.

Sincerely,
Arby’s Customer Relations
 
*This is the disclaimer that comes on the email. So, does this mean that they 
have "Copyrighted" this message, and if I post it, they are going to come after me? 
Notice: This e-mail message and its attachments are the property of Arby's 
or one of its subsidiaries and may contain confidential or legally privileged 
information intended solely for the use of the addressee(s). If you are not an 
intended recipient, then any use, copying or distribution of this message or its 
attachments is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please
notify the sender and delete this message entirely from your system. 
 
Here's the thing, even though Arby's may slice their own meat in the store, that 
still doesn't tell me how fresh it is!  It could have been sitting in a shelf in
back for the last four months before they sliced it!  I also think their marking 
campaign is very misleading if they "are not claiming that we taste better than Subway, or that 
they have  low quality products."  I found their marketing technique very deceiving if this is not their goal. 
They must have spent a ton of money on this campaign making sure that it is on every major network and on they commercial circuit for every major television program.  Here's my problem: I don't have DVR.  I don't just fast forward the commercials.  I meet them a lot of the time, just so I don't have too hear them.  
*I don't pay for cable or satellite to save money.  
If seen enough annoying marketing campaigns in my life!  I've taken enough marketing classes in college to know, this is bad marketing.  Hopefully, there are enough marketing savvy people out there to see right through this.
On top of this, I see that they are trying to appeal to the crowd that watches Fox News Network.  I had no idea who Bo Dietl was!  I mentioned it to my coworkers, and one mentioned, "Oh, ya. I see him on Fox News every once and a while."  I do not watch Fox News.  Since that channel appeals mostly to Right Wing Conservatives, this must be the crowd Arby's is trying to attract.
*There was no response to how bad the food has been lately.  Maybe I'll receive another email today or tomorrow addressing that. From now on, I will just go to Kroger and buy a package of roast beef to make my own sandwiches!  I make a mean Reuben!  
Besides, Subway does bake their own bread, and that's just awesome!

Comments

  1. I think the kicker is "we are not making any claims to freshness." If that's the case, then what's the purpose of the commercials?

    These sites http://www.economist.com/node/18529895 and http://www.rhlaw.com/blog/legal-effect-of-boilerplate-email-disclaimers/ - has some info about the email boilerplate

    ReplyDelete
  2. And ya know what else? My fiance knew someone who worked at Arby's...it's not even real roast beef. It's a meat paste. That's why it comes in such big chunks to be sliced up. The turkey at Cracker Barrel is the same way. >.<

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