Uncovering the viral WTF campaign – from a playful prank to a mouthwatering treat of wings, tenders, and fries

This post is sponsored by The Ad Makers.

The genuine WTF reactions of consumers upon the revelation they were pranked proved the astonishing success of Wingstop Singapore’s dumbfounding, but undeniably innovative, WTF campaign.

Aimed to launch and drive sales for a new menu item called the WTF (wings, tenders, fries) box, the campaign leveraged Gen Z’s online behaviour, as well as Singaporean consumers’ strong inclination towards promotions that promise free items, in order to organically generate buzz.

And since the menu was only a clever bundling of already existing food items, the campaign needed an air of intrigue to spark consumers’ curiosity anew, hence, the WTF approach.

The prank

Inspired by the #IJBOL (I just be online lying) trend, the prank started with commissioned nano-influencers posting on TikTok a fictitious Wingstop promo. These influencers were given the creative freedom to develop their prank promotional content, provided that it would effectively lure their followers into coming to the store; and when they had successfully tricked a follower/s, they were then rewarded with a complimentary WTF box.

But this prank, not being your average one, had a surprising twist. In the spirit of fairness – and keeping the peace – the pranked individuals were given vouchers and officially welcomed into the “WTF Club”.

This admission involved privately contacting them to let them in on the prank, and encouraging them to take their turn to perpetuate the cycle by posting the same non-existent promo, pranking their followers, and getting rewarded with a free WTF box of their own.

This succession of pranks acted as the key driver in the viral spread of the campaign, generating maximum buzz and engagement for the WTF box.

The success

What made the WTF campaign a sensation was its very nature: it was more than just a meal, it was an experience. Aside from the number of pranksters and victims-turned-pranksters, whose enthusiasm propelled the campaign’s success, TikTok, the campaign’s main social media platform, served as the cornerstone of the campaign’s remarkable success as evidenced by the phrase “Wingstop free meal” trending on the app throughout the duration.

Its magnitude also had a cross-platform reach, transcending over to Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), with impressive metrics, amassing a staggering 6,308,493 views, a 1,411,252 organic reach, and a 450,000 engagement rate in just the first week. The campaign’s impact was further amplified with coverage by the media, including a feature on Must Share News.

Award-winning

Another milestone for the WTF campaign was achieved at MARKETING-INTERACTIVE’s third annual Annual Hashtag Asia Awards. The Ad Makers took home five prestigious awards: Best Social Media Campaign: TikTok – gold; Best Social Media Engagement Strategy – bronze; Best Use of Interactive Elements in a Social Media Campaign – gold; Best User-Generated Content Campaign – Gold; and Best Viral Social Media Campaign – gold.

This reflected not only the campaign’s innovative approach and incredible success, but also its impressive and lasting impact.