The best restaurant marketing campaigns turn a menu item into a cultural event. McDonald's reported US$280 million in incremental sales from Famous Orders, according to WARC, and Popeyes reported $87 million in earned media and 13% same-store sales growth, according to the Effie Awards. KFC Canada reported a 2,859% return on a $30,000 campaign. Here are five restaurant campaigns with published results.
Last updated: October 27, 2026. Results are as reported by brands and awards bodies, not independently audited.
In this guide
- Which restaurant campaigns made this list?
- Which restaurant campaign is best for each goal?
- What are the five best restaurant marketing campaigns?
- What do the best restaurant campaigns have in common?
- How can restaurant brands copy these campaigns?
- Where can you find more campaign roundups?
- Frequently asked questions
Which restaurant campaigns made this list?
This list covers five restaurant campaigns from McDonald's, Popeyes, KFC Canada, Taco Bell and Wendy's, each chosen because the brand or an awards body published a result.
"Best" is a judgment call, so this is 5W's pick of campaigns with a clear mechanism and clear numbers, not a ranking by sales. The figures come from award entries and case studies, so treat them as reported, not audited. This list leaves out cases covered on 5W's best franchise PR campaigns page, such as Burger King's Moldy Whopper and Domino's.
| Campaign | Brand | Idea | Reported result |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Famous Orders" | McDonald's | Celebrity go-to orders as menu items | US$280M incremental sales |
| "#ChickenWars" | Popeyes | A tweet that started a rivalry | $87M earned media, +13% same-store sales |
| "Fixed It" | KFC Canada | Billboards outside rival stores | +5.1% store sales, 2,859% return on spend |
| "The Anti-Hero" | Taco Bell | Doja Cat and the return of the Mexican Pizza | Sales per store per day from 20 to 264 |
| "Sir, This Wendy's Is a Morty's" | Wendy's | A breakfast campaign | Breakfast sales +120% to 140% |
Which restaurant campaign is best for each goal?
The best restaurant campaign depends on the goal: McDonald's for incremental sales at scale, Popeyes for earned media value, KFC Canada for return on a small budget, Taco Bell for reviving a menu item, and Wendy's for owning a daypart. The table matches each goal to the case with the strongest reported result for it. The matches are 5W's reading of figures from award entries and case studies.
| If your goal is... | Look at | Reported result |
|---|---|---|
| Incremental sales at national scale | McDonald's | US$280 million in incremental sales |
| Earned media from a single post | Popeyes | $87 million in earned media and 13% same-store sales growth |
| Return on a small budget | KFC Canada | 2,859% return on a $30,000 campaign |
| Reviving a menu favorite | Taco Bell | Mexican Pizza sales per store per day from 20 to 264 |
| Growing one daypart | Wendy's | Breakfast sales up 120% to 140% |
What are the five best restaurant marketing campaigns?
The five campaigns below run from a tweet that cost nothing to a campaign that turned celebrity orders into menu items.
1. McDonald's "Famous Orders"
McDonald's built Famous Orders on the insight that everyone has a go-to McDonald's order, according to Mi3. Celebrities including J Balvin, BTS and Saweetie shared their orders, and fans could buy them, according to Branding in Asia.
WARC, which gave the case its North America Grand Prix, reports US$280 million in incremental sales and 1.2 million more 18 to 24 year olds served each month. The campaign was also named the most effective in the world at the 2023 Global Best of the Best Effie Awards, according to AdNews.
Why it works: The campaign did not ask people to try something new. It put famous names on orders people already understood.
2. Popeyes "#ChickenWars"
Popeyes won the Grand Effie at the 2021 US Effie Awards for "#ChickenWars," according to the Effie Awards press release. The campaign began when Popeyes tweeted "y'all good?" at Chick-fil-A while introducing its chicken sandwich, and the exchange became an online debate between the chains and their fans.
Demand grew so high that Popeyes sold out of the sandwich, according to the Effie release. It reports that the unpaid tweets earned $87 million in media value, led to 13% same-store sales growth and added $1 billion in system-wide sales for the year.
Why it works: A rival's name in a short, playful tweet let Popeyes borrow Chick-fil-A's audience and gave fans a side to take.
3. KFC Canada "Fixed It"
KFC Canada responded to McDonald's launch of the Chicken Big Mac by putting truck-sized billboards in front of McDonald's locations, according to the Cannes Lions 2023 entry. The entry says the response-driven campaign made national and international news.
The entry reports a $30,000 campaign investment, 18 times more earned media than paid, a 72% increase in social engagement and an 86% rise in positive brand perception. It also reports a 5.1% increase in store sales and a 2,859% return on spend. These figures come from the campaign's award entry.
Why it works: KFC reacted to a bigger rival's launch within days and with a small budget, so the news coverage came from the surprise, not from media spend.
4. Taco Bell "The Anti-Hero" with Doja Cat
Taco Bell made the singer Doja Cat an unlikely brand ambassador to bring back its Mexican Pizza, according to the WARC case summary, which lists the case as a bronze winner in the Effie Awards North America. The campaign used playful banter between Doja Cat and Taco Bell on social media, a jingle, and an announcement of the product's return during her Coachella performance.
WARC reports a 1,220% increase in Mexican Pizza sales per store per day, from 20 to 264, plus 3.8 billion earned impressions and a boost in positive sentiment toward the brand.
Why it works: The product already had fans, so a celebrity who had asked for it publicly made the return feel like a response to the audience.
5. Wendy's "Sir, This Wendy's Is a Morty's"
Wendy's ran a breakfast campaign titled "Sir, This Wendy's Is a Morty's," according to a WARC case study published in March 2023. WARC reports roughly half a billion multichannel impressions and breakfast sales up 120% to 140% year over year.
Different WARC summaries of this case give slightly different figures, including 520 million impressions and a breakfast increase of more than 140%, so this page uses the range. The figures come from the case's authors.
Why it works: The campaign focused on one daypart, breakfast, which gave Wendy's one clear sales number to measure.
What do the best restaurant campaigns have in common?
Each of the five campaigns gave people something to react to, whether a rival, a celebrity, a menu item or a daypart.
| Approach | Campaigns on this list | What the audience sees |
|---|---|---|
| Put a name on the menu | McDonald's | A celebrity's order, sold as a meal |
| Pick a fight | Popeyes, KFC Canada | A rival brand named in public |
| Bring back a favorite | Taco Bell | A returning item with a celebrity behind it |
| Own one daypart | Wendy's | A campaign built around breakfast |
The risk is that two of the five depend on a rival reacting or staying silent, and a competitor that answers can end the story. Most of the figures also come from award entries, so a brand should ask for the measurement method before copying a number.
How can restaurant brands copy these campaigns?
Restaurant brands can copy these campaigns by choosing one menu item or one daypart and giving customers a reason to react to it.
- Start from something customers already do. McDonald's built on go-to orders and reported US$280 million in incremental sales, according to WARC.
- React fast and keep the budget small. KFC Canada reported $30,000 for its campaign and a 2,859% return on spend.
- Bring back a favorite with someone who asked for it. Taco Bell reported Mexican Pizza sales per store per day rising from 20 to 264.
- Measure one daypart or one item. Wendy's reported breakfast sales growth on its own line.
- Record the baseline before launch, so the result can be stated as a change, not a total.
Where can you find more campaign roundups?
Restaurants overlap with franchises, influencer marketing and AI search, so several 5W pieces sit close to this one. See the best franchise PR campaigns, the guide to restaurant PR steps, costs and launch planning, and restaurant influencer marketing.
For chain-level tactics such as loyalty and limited-time offers, read fast food marketing strategies and the guide to restaurant loyalty PR. For AI search, read the US Restaurants AI Visibility Index.
Frequently asked questions
Which restaurant campaign reported the biggest results?
McDonald's reported the largest sales figure, US$280 million in incremental sales from Famous Orders, according to WARC. Taco Bell reported the largest percentage, a 1,220% rise in Mexican Pizza sales per store per day, and KFC Canada reported the highest return on spend, 2,859%.
Which restaurant campaign is best for a small budget?
KFC Canada's "Fixed It," which reported a $30,000 investment and a 2,859% return on spend, according to its Cannes Lions entry. That is the return on a small campaign and does not mean it outsold the larger ones in dollars.
Are the restaurant campaign results verified?
No. The figures come from award entries, Effie and WARC case summaries and brand submissions. Treat each number as reported by the brand or the awards body.
Why are Burger King and Domino's not on this list?
Both appear on 5W's best franchise PR campaigns page, so this list covers different cases to avoid repeating them.
Can a small restaurant copy these campaigns?
Small restaurants can copy the mechanisms, such as a fast reaction to a competitor or a limited return of a favorite item. National celebrity partnerships are not required, but the idea needs a clear audience reaction behind it.
