Arby’s Pivots to Sandwiches, Looks to Shed Roast Beef Image

Fast-food chain is introducing the new tagline, “We have the meats...for sandwiches” in an effort to reach younger consumers

Arby’s promotes its many sandwiches in a new ad campaign aimed at young consumers who may not like the roast beef the chain is known for. Photo: Arby’s
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Arby’s wants you to know that it doesn’t just “have the meats.”

It also has the bread for sandwiches, and not just the roast beef sandwiches it’s known for, but sandwiches of all kinds.

The fast-food chain is spelling out this message in a new ad campaign, with the tagline, “Arby’s. We Have The Meats…for Sandwiches.”

Up to now the Arby’s brand, which has been around for over 50 years, has appealed mostly to older consumers, said Arby’s marketing chief Jim Taylor. The new campaign is an effort to reach younger consumers who may have believed Arby’s was a roast-beef-only zone and have a taste for different products.

“Sandwiches is a category that’s huge,” Mr. Taylor said. “Younger people don’t eat roast beef as much. We want to bring in some younger consumers who love sandwiches.”

The campaign from creative ad agency Fallon, set to launch Sept. 9, stars a “head of sandwiches” character who bemoans the fact that “people still think Arby’s is just roast beef,” even though it has 17 other sandwiches, from the Smokehouse Brisket to the Turkey Gyro.

In one ad, the head of sandwiches also wonders if consumers are confused because of the Arby’s signs that say, “Arby’s Roast Beef is Delicious” and because of their past experiences: “The last time you went to Arby’s you were with your grandparents who ate exclusively roast beef, every meal, somehow,” he said.

Arby’s: Core Sandwiches, Backed Into a Corner

The campaign will launch in the U.S. across TV and digital platforms, as well as through “brand experiences” where consumers will be able to interact with the fictional head of sandwiches.

Arby’s, which is majority owned by private equity firm Roark Capital Group, has been working to diversify its offerings. It recently acquired Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. in a deal valued at $2.9 billion, forming the new umbrella company Inspire Brands Inc.

Arby’s chose not to use a celebrity in its new ad campaign, sticking with a strategy to “keep the food at the center of things,” said Mr. Taylor.

The new sandwich positioning doesn’t mean Arby’s is ditching its focus on “quality meats,” said Mr. Taylor.

“It’s making sure people know why we have the meats is for great sandwiches,” he said.

Write to Alexandra Bruell at alexandra.bruell@wsj.com