Arby’s to Feed Fans if Basketball History Is Made

Arby’s Restaurant Group plans to serve basketball fans a free sandwich based on an outcome of one of the NCAA playoff games.

If a 16-seed team upsets a first-seed team in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament today and Friday, more than 3,300 Arby’s locations nationwide will serve up one free Chicken Naturals crispy chicken fillet sandwiches to each of its customers on April 3.

To receive the sandwich, a customer must provide proof of the score from a newspaper score box and visit an Arby’s Restaurant between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. local times.

“It’s something we thought was a neat way to bring attention to the launch of the Chicken Naturals line,” said Jason Abelkop, SVP-field marketing at Arby’s.

The Atlanta-based company launched its 100% natural chicken “Chicken Naturals” line of sandwiches, salads and wraps last month.

“The promotion is one component in a number of things we’re doing to reach our core target audience,” Abelkop said.

The promotion is being handled in-house. T-shirts announcing the giveaway will be distributed throughout the basketball games. National and local media support.

In a separate marketing venture, Arby’s will have airtime on the April 3 episode of The Apprentice. Abelkop did not disclose details of Arby’s upcoming Apprentice appearance.

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