Zaxbys Turns Philadelphians into Coupons for New Chicken Philly

To re-launch its controversial Chicken Philly sandwich, Goodby Silverstein & Partners (GS&P) created a cheeky spin on Philadelphia’s iconic sandwich that’s made with chicken, Zaxbys has turned every Philadelphian ID into a coupon for a free one.

“Philadelphians are fiercely proud of their iconic Philly sandwich, and we knew their endorsement of our new Zaxbys Chicken Philly would mean more than anything else. So how can we get them to experience it? By turning them into a coupon to try a free one,” says Eamonn Dixon, executive creative director at Goodby Silverstein & Partners. 

The ‘Philly for a Philly’ activation went live last weekend in Orlando and saw the Atlantan chicken chain follow Philadelphia’s favourite basketball team around with mobile billboards that invite Philadelphians to experience the best Philly in the nation at Zaxbys. 

The activation caused a stir, with Philadelphians in disbelief that a brand would go to such lengths to get their attention and locals hunting down Philadelphians - with signs and even Craigslist posts. 

It will follow the 76ers again this weekend to Indianapolis.

“If you’re a Pacers fan, it’d be a smart idea to make friends with a Philadelphian after the game because they’re your ticket to flavourtown,” says Eamonn. “While some might say that we’ve gone and turned Philadelphians into coupons for a free sandwich, we wouldn’t say that at all. Especially not legally. But I would remind Pacers fans that only one Philadelphian may be redeemed per customer.”