Additions to fast-food menus rarely get six months to build buzz, but that was not the case with the return of Snack Wraps to McDonald’s. The chain’s U.S. president Joe Erlinger confirmed the return of the cult favorite item, which was removed from most U.S. locations in 2016, in December 2024, kicking off months of hype from fans and the brand.

But McDonald’s wasn’t alone. In an attempt to hijack the conversation and beat the Golden Arches to the punch, Popeyes on June 2 announced the addition of Chicken Wraps to its menu, offering “a whole lot of flavor without breaking the bank.”

Since then, the marketing — and competitive sparring — has continued, with Taco Bell getting into the chicken wrap game and KFC, Wingstop and even White Castle doubling down on marketing around chicken. These efforts demonstrates how QSRs continue to market the protein, years after the so-called chicken sandwich wars reinvigorated the category.

"Our foot traffic data indicates that while value is important, innovation is equally relevant to QSR consumers when making purchase decision,” said R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research at Placer.ai, in emailed comments. “Over the past few years, chicken has been a major source of innovation across the QSR category, from new chicken strip offerings to, more recently, various snack wrap options.”

Lovin’ nostalgia

For McDonald’s, the power of innovation is in the data. On the day of Snack Wrap’s return (July 10), visits to the chain were up 15%, compared to the year-to-date average, with visits on July 11 increasing 22.3% compared to the year-to-date average.

“The Snack Wrap’s successful comeback is the latest example of a revived product finding success, reinforcing the power of nostalgia in today’s QSR limited-time offers,” Hottovy told Marketing Dive’s sister publication Restaurant Dive.

To market the return of the Snack Wrap, McDonald’s leaned into that nostalgia, as it has with everything from a sales-lifting celebration of Grimace’s birthday to Happy Meals, McNugget Buddies and collector cups. The brand launched a throwback web portal to hype the return, extending the campaign with a TV spot, social posts, out-of-home ads and a Snapchat activation.

But the chain is also using the return of the Snack Wrap to take its marketing forward. The chain recently appointed Translation as its new agency of record for the African American consumer market. To reach that market, the agency created an “Unc” character, played by Hassan Johnson (“The Wire”), who features in ads that co-sign the Snack Wrap for a generation of consumers who weren’t around during the product’s heyday. 

Translation has worked with McDonald’s before, on the creation of the iconic “I’m Lovin’ It” jingle and a “Think with Your Mouth” Big Mac campaign. Moving forward, the brand and agency hope to deliver more insight-led, culturally informed campaigns, per a statement.

Chicken wars continue

In its efforts to needle McDonald’s, Popeyes looked to instigate a full-blown “wrap battle” with what it billed as the first-ever artificial intelligence-generated diss track music video. The chain partnered with creator PJ Accetturo for a video that featured — among other things — a Popeyes party, a knight in shining armor and a depressed, fast-food-slinging clown.

“More than just a brand video, this marks a shift in how fast food connects with fans: not through polished ads, but through collaborative creativity,” a brand spokesperson said in a statement.

Popeyes was not alone in getting into the so-called wrap wars. Taco Bell built on its launch of a crispy chicken nuggets product with crispy chicken burritos and tacos — the latter resembling a snack wrap, by any other name. The products are part of a full, permanent crispy-chicken platform that will roll out by 2026.

“Crispy chicken is having a moment, but our fans made it a movement,” said Taco Bell CMO Taylor Montgomery, in a statement. “We’re not like every other chicken spot out there, we’re doing crispy chicken the only way we know how: full of flavor and unmistakably Taco Bell.”

To connect with fans around culture, Taco Bell took to Cameo to cast a wide net of brand ambassadors, from actress Kate Flannery (“The Office”), rapper-actor GaTa and celebrity chef Christian Petroni for the new crispy chicken products. The chain also began running an ad wherein a consumer ponders the unlikely pairing of a “Crispy Chicken From a Taco Place.”

Perhaps even more unlikely than crispy chicken from a taco place is crispy chicken from the world’s first fast-food hamburger chain. Yet White Castle on June 30 launched a Crispy Chicken Slider alongside branded merch and a $5 combo only available to rewards members. Loyalty plays have increased as restaurant chains look to entice cash-strapped consumers during an uncertain economic period.

Chicken chain bona fides

While many in the QSR space are focused on snack wraps, other chicken-focused chains are ramping up marketing, as well. KFC this month looked to enter its “comeback era” with a multipart campaign that features both a spot co-starring celebrity chef and actor Matty Matheson and a push to make founder-mascot Colonel Sanders more serious. The campaign, “The Colonel Lived So We Could Chicken,” looks to right the ship after a period of U.S. sales declines amid increased competition.

“We’re well aware of the latest fried chicken rankings and I’m fired up to launch a bold Kentucky Fried Comeback and remind America exactly who we are,” said Catherine Tan-Gillespie, president of KFC U.S., in a statement. “If people can give their ex a million second chances, I hope our fans can give us one.”

Among KFC’s major competitors is Wingstop, which saw 41% growth in consumer spend in 2024 — the largest gain among the top 50 restaurant chains — according to Circana data. The chain has been an active marketer as of late, teaming with WNBA star Paige Bueckers for a celebrity meal reminiscent of those offered by McDonald’s Famous Orders platform. Wingstop also looked to make their dominance in chicken official, filing an application to register the “National Chicken Tender Day” trademark.

“Some say that chicken fingers, strips and tenders are the same, but Wingstop isn't buying it,” said Mark Christenson, Wingstop's chief revenue officer, in a press release. “By filing a trademark application to register 'National Chicken Tender Day,' Wingstop is giving the finger to fingers and staking our claim on our distinctive crispy tenders that fans crave.”