As the king of “the Meats,” Arby's believed that their new Spicy Fish and Country Style Rib sandwiches were superior to McDonald's Filet-O-Fish and McRib, respectively. However, Arby's had only 1/10th of McDonald's advertising budget and needed to find a way to generate awareness and encourage people to try their new sandwiches without relying on paid advertising. The goal: garner attention and drive trial of Arby’s Spicy Fish and Country Style Rib sandwiches through a largely earned media approach.

Arby's needed an innovative idea that would generate buzz on social media and drive media headlines. To achieve this, they decided to create a series of original, catchy songs that would resonate with their audience and call out the shortcomings of their biggest competitor McDonald’s Filet-o-Fish and McRib sandwiches.

Grammy-nominated rapper Pusha T was the perfect partner not just because his song “Burial” had been part of Arby’s ads for nearly a decade, but also because of his infamous history with McDonald’s. Pusha T wrote the McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It” jingle and was never paid royalties, adding a controversial layer to the story that would generate buzz.

Arby's gave Pusha complete creative freedom to develop two original songs, "Spicy Fish Diss" and "Rib Roast," which promoted the Arby’s Spicy Fish and Country Style Rib sandwiches and were posted with music videos on Arby’s and Pusha T’s social channels.

Through Simmons research, Arby's discovered that their target consumer was 60% more likely to listen to rap or hip-hop than the average fast-food customer. Because of this, they decided to take inspiration from the concept of "diss tracks," a style of song in hip-hop where artists creatively "diss" or attack other people or groups.

The two Diss Tracks, "Spicy Fish Diss" and "Rib Roast" were turned into music videos and launched on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. YouTube and TikTok were utilized because of their proven success in launching music and music videos. Twitter offered the best space for discussion around the diss track lyrics, and Instagram helped generate broader reach and engagement. The tracks launched first on Pusha’s channels to remain authentic to typical musician new music launches and build off the loyalty and excitement from his own fan base.

The Arby’s x Pusha T Diss Tracks launched entirely on social. The first track, "Spicy Fish Diss," was released in March 2022 with an edgy lyric video on Arby's and Pusha T's Instagram and Twitter accounts. Arby's also arranged an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone, where Pusha T shared his history with McDonald's to further spread the story.

Later that year, Arby's released the follow-up track, "Rib Roast," highlighting Arby’s Real Country Style Rib sandwich. The country-themed music video starred professional bull rider Blue Mitchell, who modeled a limited-edition Arby's x Pusha T Real Country Style streetwear line. The music video premiered on Pusha T's, Arby's, and Blue’s social media channels, and the exclusive merchandise was available for sale on ArbysRealCountryStyle.com and Arby’s Instagram. Arby's also arranged an interview with Pusha T on Complex.com to discuss the track and the merchandise line, which helped prompt further press coverage.

The Arby's x Pusha T Diss Tracks generated 8.6+ billion earned PR and social impressions, 47.6k organic social mentions and trended #4 organically on Twitter. The campaign and social conversation helped garner widespread coverage from outlets like The Wall Street Journal and The Tonight Show, attracting new fans to the Arby's brand.

The success of "Spicy Fish Diss" resulted in a 17% increase in Arby's Fish Sandwich sales and a 3.8% increase in check size. During the Fish sales window, Fish Sandwiches accounted for 22% of all orders, and the track’s success equated to $8.2 million in equivalent ad exposure.

Later that year, the launch of "Rib Roast" contributed to a 25% sales increase in the Smokehouse Sandwiches lineup, which included the Country Style Rib Sandwich. The success of both diss tracks demonstrates the power of engaging social content to drive sales and reach new audiences without major media budgets.