Jack in the Box Inc., one of the nation’s leading quick-service restaurant chains, announced the rollout of its new Cluck Chicken sandwich and BBQ Cluck Sandwich, accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek marketing campaign meant to poke fun at the infamous Chicken Wars. Along with the significantly bigger and crispier upgrade of the original Cluck Sandwich, the brand is also introducing their BBQ Cluck Sandwich and BBQ Deluxe Cluck Sandwich for a flavorful twist on the popular item. The brand broke the news last week with a humorous video press release announcing that Jack Box had purchased the town of Chicken, Alaska, effectively “owning” chicken and winning the Chicken Wars for good.
“Staying true to our unique and fun approach to menu innovation, we’re excited to be offering a BBQ twist on the classic chicken sandwich,” says Ryan Ostrom, Chief Marketing Officer of Jack in the Box. “The BBQ flavor profile is a route that very few other brands have taken in their chicken sandwich efforts and we’re confident this will be a welcomed and exciting update for chicken sandwich fans. Between the launch of our upgraded Cluck Chicken Sandwiches and our newfound partnership with Chicken, Alaska, we can confidently say that Jack in the Box now owns chicken.”
Both the original and BBQ versions of the Cluck Sandwich feature 100% all white chicken meat fillet that is bigger, crispier, and better than ever. The BBQ Cluck Sandwich is topped with crinkle-cut pickles and BBQ sauce on a brioche bun, while the Deluxe version includes crispy bacon, panko onion rings, American cheese and BBQ sauce. The original Cluck Sandwich and Deluxe Original feature the brand’s classic Mystery Sauce. Customers can enjoy any of the Cluck Chicken Sandwich variations a la carte or as a combo with a side of fries and chosen beverage.
To announce the rollout of the new sandwiches, the brand leaned into its playful and comedic identity with a campaign surrounding “CEO” Jack Box’s purchase of the small town of Chicken, Alaska in exchange for 10,000 Cluck Sandwiches, thereby allowing the brand to “own” chicken for good. Jack Box solidified the deal after a friendly negotiation with current Chicken town owners Sue and Max, who were featured in the video press release, along with visuals of the town affectionately referred to as “the French Riviera of Alaska.” Despite the joking nature of the town purchase, the brand did make a $10,000 donation to Chicken to help the town amid the pandemic.