We’ve all heard about the Popeyes chicken sandwich, whether it be from social media or from the mass marketing campaign done to promote the product. Popeyes has made quite a name for itself in the fast-food industry as of late, and this can be attributed to the return of the chicken sandwich on Nov. 3, which was originally released Aug. 12 but sold out worldwide. Now, I like good fried chicken just as much as the next person; with this in mind, I believe there is simply too much hype surrounding the return of this menu item, which, according to Forbes, was a “$65 million marketing win” for the company.
As a business major, I truly appreciate the marketing that has gone into the advertising of the chicken sandwich. They have made it about competing with Chick-Fil-A, and many foodies on YouTube have even made comparisons between the two. There comes a point, however, when too much is too much. According to NBC New York, “A group of people [were] already in the line at the restaurant in the 6200 block of Livingston Road when Kevin Davis arrived about 7 p.m. ‘For 15 minutes, he methodically cut in front of people to [reach] the front of the line, where he was confronted by another customer,’ Prince George’s County Police Chief Hank Stawinski said. Fifteen seconds later, Davis was stabbed outside one time by the man who confronted him, police said.” Is getting your hands on the newest hyped item on social media worth taking the life of another human being? The rational answer is no, but these are the extents that some people are taking. Popeyes has yet to speak out about the murder.
Something that I have personally seen on my social media is my friends buying the sandwiches, whether they be spicy or regular, and putting outposts on their stories saying they are “reselling” the sandwich. I’ve seen this tactic with more practical items, such as shoes, textbooks, and even cars, but…chicken? Really? People put a lot of value into things that mean a lot to them; for example, I mentioned shoes, and have seen pairs of Yeezys sell for a lot more than people actually bought them for. Some people collect shoes, so this is an understandable upcharge. However, the sandwich costs $3.99, which includes a generous serving of chicken, two pickles, mayo, and some bread. The fact that people are willing to pay more than that amount just to say they’ve tried it is something I don’t think I’ll ever understand.
Photo: T. Sodoge
