Detroit Pistons fans cheer during the closing minutes of the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 30, 2023, in Detroit. The Pistons snapped their 28th-game losing streak and won 129-127.
Detroit Pistons fans cheer during the closing minutes of the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 30, 2023, in Detroit. The Pistons snapped their 28th-game losing streak and won 129-127.
Thanks to the Toronto Raptors, fans of the Detroit Pistons were finally able to enjoy free chicken wings last weekend. Wingstop has a promotion this season that provides five free boneless chicken wings to ticket holders after each Pistons win. Despite the chicken wing chain’s engagement in a routine promotion, it turned out to be, well, not so routine. Until beating the Raptors this past weekend, the Pistons had a 28-game losing streak, which equalled the NBA’s all-time mark.
Pizza Pizza once engaged in a similar type of promotional campaign in partnership with the Raptors. Following a Raptors win — when the team scored 100 or more points — ticket holders received a free slice of pizza.
Unlike Wingstop, however, Pizza Pizza’s promotion became activated too often. Pizza Pizza eventually altered the promotion to require that a slice of pizza be purchased before receiving a free one.
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Social media posts made clear that Raptors fans were unimpressed with the change. Amending the promotion prompted bad publicity for Pizza Pizza. It was revealed that Raptors fans could no longer donate their tickets to be used by homeless shelters.
Wingstop’s promotion and partnership with the Pistons seemed ill-advised as well. Last season, the Pistons possessed the NBA’s worst record, with only 17 wins and 65 losses. Such a record was unlikely to drive the desired foot traffic to Wingstop locations. Normally, a brand would not seek to be associated with such futility either.
Likely projections were Wingstop’s promotion being activated roughly 25 per cent of the time this season. But the Pistons’ record entering their game against the Raptors was 2 wins and 29 losses. The team had been winless for two months.
Adding to the absurdity, Wingstop branding appeared on Pistons social media as final scores were posted.
Yet, Wingstop has curiously stumbled into good fortune. The Pistons’ extraordinary proclivity for losing brought a lot of attention to the team (and the comedy of Wingstop’s promotion).
Brand awareness — an important metric of a brand’s value — has been enhanced. The reach of Wingstop’s promotion has gone well beyond the Detroit area.
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Broadcasters — like ESPN — took notice. Memes became commonplace. Basketball fans began to closely follow Pistons games. If the Pistons held the lead in a game, many took to social media and wondered if Detroit could find a way to hold on (hopeful that fans could finally enjoy some free wings).
Posting the score of the Pistons/Raptors game with just over three minutes remaining — and the Pistons leading by 7 points — SB Nation tweeted: “If you’re in line at Wingstop stay in line.”
When the Pistons finally did snap their historic losing streak against the Raptors, one post on X said, “everybody on their way to wingstop after the pistons win.” The post was complemented by video of three side-by-side escalators moving downward with an endless flow of people.
The post quickly attained 2.7 million views. Wingstop responded to the post with “Let there be wings.”
A recurring theme among circulating memes was an overwhelming mass of people in movement. There was also frequent compassion expressed for Wingstop employees that would face the anticipated rush.
Fittingly, multiple Wingstop employees — from Detroit locations — said the evening following the Pistons win was the busiest shift they had ever experienced.
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And as is usually the case when the Raptors play in Detroit, a large contingent of Raptors fans were in attendance. For those Raptors fans — despite the disappointment of seeing their team lose — a small consolation prize was they could also get free chicken wings.
Timothy Dewhirst is a professor and senior research fellow in marketing and public policy at the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph.
