The Wendy’s Chicken Nugget Challenge, also known as #NuggsForCarter, started in April 2017 when a teenager named Carter Wilkerson tweeted Wendy’s asking how many retweets he would need to get a year’s supply of free chicken nuggets.
Wendy’s replied with a seemingly impossible number: 18 million.
Carter’s tweet quickly went viral, with people all over the world retweeting and supporting his quest. Although he didn’t reach the 18 million retweets, he did manage to break the record for the most retweeted tweet at the time, surpassing Ellen DeGeneres’ famous Oscar selfie. His tweet garnered over 3.4 million retweets.
In recognition of his efforts, Wendy’s awarded Carter a year’s supply of chicken nuggets and also donated $100,000 to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.
The campaign was a brilliant example of how a simple, humorous interaction on social media can turn into a massive viral marketing success.
