The Wendy's Retweet Challenge

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to evaluate the strategies the Wendy's food brand implements during their viral Retweet Challenge in which they wager a year's worth of chicken nuggets in exchange for teenager Carter Wilkerson to achieve 18 million retweets. This chapter argues for the effectiveness of this campaign due to Wendy's utilizing neoliberal strategies of gamification, individualism, and positivity, positioning the brand as antagonist to Wilkerson's efforts, and thus, encouraging the support from other Twitter users, only to revert back to a supportive role once the challenge commences. This, while possessing some possible drawbacks, Wendy's is framed not as corporate oppressor but as a supporter of not only Wilkerson's goal but of the creative exchange that often characterizes the relationship between producers and consumers via new media.