This new Arby's campaign is being kicked off to showcase the brand's recently launched Sliders with the help of Malin Akerman and Harry Jowsey.
The campaign sees the pair chatting, only to have Akerman lament to Jowsey about her lack of luck when sliding into DMs as a tongue-in-cheek way to promote the sandwiches with a familiar colloquial saying. The spot then sees Ackerman kicking off online conversations regarding the limited time offer of Arby's Sliders for $1.99, which sees her start receiving replies and thus emboldening Jowsey to follow suit.
Akerman commented on the Arby's campaign with Jowsey saying, "Who knew the secret to sliding into DMs was Arby’s Sliders? I had such a great time working with Harry on this campaign and bringing an unexpected, playful idea to life."
Image Credit: Arby’s
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Celebrity-led Menu Drops
- Familiar personalities add pop-culture relevance to limited-time food launches, creating space for QSR brands to turn menu promotions into entertainment-driven social moments.
- Flirty Social Wordplay
- Humor built around dating slang and online behavior gives casual dining campaigns a sharper cultural hook, opening new ways for brands to make product names feel native to digital conversations.
- Value-driven Snack Marketing
- Low-price mini menu items become more compelling when framed through playful storytelling, giving restaurants a path to compete on affordability without relying only on discount messaging.
Where This Applies
- Quick-service Restaurants
- Fast-food chains can use compact, low-cost products as social campaign anchors, blending value, novelty, and influencer appeal into repeatable promotional formats.
- Digital Advertising
- Campaigns that translate everyday internet language into product narratives point to more interactive ad models where jokes, memes, and social behaviors shape brand recall.
- Celebrity Partnerships
- Talent collaborations centered on unexpected comedic pairings create fresh commercial formats for brands seeking cultural credibility beyond traditional endorsement spots.
