Memorable Food Promotions That Live Rent Free In Our Heads

We all love a national day promo where you can claim free food, but the most creative food promotions are the campaigns that rebrand a company/chain or even solves a problem. Here are some memorable promos from food brands that really did make life easier (even if it was for a few days).

Subway Middle Seat

Subway gave away 10,000 Subway Series footlong subs for air travelers stuck in the middle seat — because we all know how annoying that seat is. With air travel demand hitting record highs ahead of the holiday travel season, Subway made flying a bit better for those passengers in the dreaded “sandwich seat.”

Domino’s Paving For Pizza

We all try to dodge pesky potholes in the middle of the road and Domino’s was the only food chain to do something about it. In an unexpected promo, Domino’s dispensed grants of $5,000 to up to 20 locations across the U.S. to help fill potholes and repair cracked roads — because no pizza delivery should be sabotaged by a pothole.

Hefty Snack Scarf

Afraid to embrace the judgement you get with taking home leftovers? Well, Hefty understood the assignment and created a scarf that you can fill with your favorite party leftovers on the sly thanks to hidden pockets with Hefty slider storage bags.

House Wine Water & Wine Box

How hard can it be to drink water as much as you drink wine? Pretty difficult, which is why House Wine dropped the first ever Water & Wine Box. It was a side-by-side box combo that featured Essentia Water and House Wine’s Sauvignon Blanc and Original Red Blend. The limited edition box was a total of four standard 750ml bottles of red and white wine, and 32 (8 oz.) glasses of water.

Chipotle “Water” Cup Candle

Raise your hand if you ever went to Chipotle and asked for “a cup for water,” but then when you got to the drink dispenser, you happen to switch your mind and get lemonade instead? I admit, I’m a guilty party. Chipotle used this consumer insight to launch a lemonade-scented candle in the iconic “water cup” inspired by fans who “accidentally” fill their water cups with lemonade. Pure genius!

Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuit Fanny Pack

Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay Biscuits are hands down the best thing on the menu, but the only downside is when they get cold. To combat the issue, the Red Lobster dropped a limited edition insulated fanny pack where utility meets flavor by keeping warm Cheddar Bay Biscuits at arm’s length or close to the heart.

KFC Firelog

KFC wanted fans to deck the halls while the halls smelled like KFC fried chicken — all 11 herbs and spices. For a mere $18.99, your home could evoked a fried chicken aroma through a firelog that had everyone running over to celebrate the warm and delicious holiday scent.

Change Your Name to ‘Subway’

Subway has been putting in work these past couple of years to bolster its rebrand. Just this year, Subway gave fans the opportunity to claim a lifetime supply of FREE sandwiches — the only thing they asked fans to do was change their name to ‘Subway.’ Easy-peasy!

Busch Light ‘Pee in a Busch’ Kit

Released on April 1, you would think this was an April Fools joke, but it wasn’t! “Save a Tree, Pee In a Busch,” was the tagline for Busch Light’s newest product release aimed to further protect forests, in partnership with One Tree Planted. To do so, Busch Light simply encouraged fans to pee in their beer cans instead of damaging trees.

Taco Bell Pays for Taco Tuesday

To commemorate the liberation of the Taco Tuesday trademark, Taco Bell extended a helping hand to Americans looking to enjoy their next Taco Tuesday date, even if their tacos didn’t originate from Taco Bell. They offered users a $5 discount on their orders, turning Taco Tuesday into an unexpectedly rewarding experience.

Burger King Tells Fans to Order from McDonald’s

Wait, what? A fast food chain wanted us to order from their direct competitor? In case you didn’t remember, during the pandemic, restaurants across the world struggled, and even fast food rivals came together to support one another by asking fans to order to keep business flowing. In a remarkable display of unity, Burger King UK issued a statement, encouraging their customers to order from McDonald’s.

Arby’s ‘Meat Carrot’

In a unique tongue-and-cheek play, Arby’s created a meat-based carrot, playfully flipping the script on the plant-based burger craze. They dubbed it, “Marrot,” the first “Megetable” from Arby’s. The Marrot was made with Arby’s tender, marinated 100 percent turkey breast and a special carrot marinade made from dried carrot juice powder.

Domino’s “Emergency Pizza”

Domino’s is coming in clutch with a recent campaign offering free emergency pizza for when you’re in a tough spot, like when you burn dinner — because we do that at least one time a week, amiright. Domino’s Emergency Pizza is a program that offers a free medium two-topping pizza to customers to use whenever they need it most until Feb. 11, 2024.