Carl’s Jr. Will Give You a Free Chicken Sandwich: How to Get It

We love it when food chains start going up against each other. Yes, we said it, we like the drama! It’s fun! And to be honest, they’re starting to do it in not-so-subtle ways. We’ve literally just brought you the news that Chili’s is launching a new value menu item that takes a shot at McDonald’s, and now we’re bringing word that Carl’s Jr. is encouraging you to tattle on other fast food restaurants – with the promise of a free chicken sandwich in return.

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How is it doing this? By encouraging its customers to submit photos of so-called Blandwiches. What does that mean? We’re here to tell ya.

Blandwiches = Sandwiches

Carl’s Jr.’s promise of free food in return for evidence of previously poor sandwiches was announced yesterday, and is all part of its strategy to promote its new Western Bacon Chicken Sandwich. This sandwich, which has beef, bacon, onion rings, and barbecue sauce, promises to be a corrective to the boring chicken sandwiches you might have received from other fast food joints – and Carl’s Jr. is so sure that it can do that, that it’s giving them out for nothing.

However, to do this, you have to rat out another chicken sandwich you’ve had. From April 14 to 30, all you have to do is download its Rewards app, and submit what Carl’s Jr. is calling “a past receipt or photo evidence of a flavorless chicken sandwich.” If your proof is accepted by the restaurant, you’ll get a free Western Bacon Chicken Sandwich, which you can redeem through the app.

Carl’s Jr. is promoting this campaign by leaning into the outlaw v. sheriff theme that this sandwich is trying to put out. “When it comes to Chicken Sandwiches, we believe that Carl’s Jr. is the best in the West,” Carl’s Jr. vice president of brand marketing, Paz Romero, said in a statement. “We know our guests can’t get enough of our bold, crave-worthy flavors, so we wanted to provide a fun way to call out known flavor felons while promoting our latest menu item.” Get scrolling through your photos, guys, you might have evidence on your phone without even realizing it.

And Who Is Carl’s Jr. to Talk?

When the news dropped of this new way to score a free sandwich, you’d best believe that both brands and individuals were quick to hit back. Over on Instagram, in @foodbeast’s post about the campaign, Popeyes responded in the comment section saying, “They should know better…” A customer, meanwhile, said pretty pointedly, “I tried the CJ one, it sucked.” Hey, Carl’s Jr., if you’re gonna pull a stunt like this, you’ll have to make sure that your sandwich is the best out there.

This promo stunt is just the latest instalment in the chicken sandwich wars that have continued to rage on for years. A couple of weeks back, Wendy’s announced that it was remaking its Spicy Chicken Sandwich, while McDonald’s stated that it was bringing back its Chicken Big Mac. It never ends.