The contest runs February 1 through February 28, will randomly award 20 prizes every week to fans on A&W?s social channels.  Prizes include A&W Gift Checks, limited edition golden mini mugs, orange bowties and an invitation to join A&W?s February 26 live Tweet-along of the Academy Awards. 

?We know there are going to be a lot of conversations happening around the Academy Awards and this was a way for us to participate in a relevant way without it feeling forced,? said Liz Bazner, digital manager at A&W. ?We?ve seen brands jump in the day (or night) of the award show but we hadn?t seen any other brands do an entire campaign around the event. 

?Based on behavioral data from our social and web traffic, we know that movie lovers are our most active and engaged followers,? she said. ?Also, we have fans from all age groups and movies provide inspiration for content that transcends all generations. 

?Consumers are inundated with content; if you can get someone to laugh then you?ve captured their attention for just a little bit longer than ordinary content.  We think the #AWcademyAwards campaign does just that.?

Interested users can join in on the conversation by using the campaign?s hashtag, #AWcademyAwards, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. 

A&W is trying to get the ball rolling with a few homegrown spoof titles, including: American Fry, The Curdfather, Beauty and the Beef, Poultrygeist and the timeless Bridget Cones? Dairy. 

The restaurant chain also put forth a few spoof reviews for social media users to work off of, with the clear standout being hosannas from Burgertainment Weekly: "Singlehandedly responsible for bacon me cry.?

Awards season usually garners sterling social media numbers for all kinds of brands, and it is easy for a company to organically ingratiate itself into the feel-good hoopla. Perhaps the prototype example is Samsung?s role in facilitating the famous star-studded selfie from the 86th Academy Awards.

Last year, Kohl?s emerged as the clear winner among brands competing to gain the most social media glory during this year?s Academy Awards thanks to a celebrity-supported live stream and relevant, discussion-inciting tweets (see story). 

And ABC parlayed Snapchat success on its The Oscars Live Story into a dedicated aftershow on the platform for its popular reality series, The Bachelor (see story). 

?Mobile is no longer an option, it is a necessity, and we think of mobile first when it comes to web design and social content,? Ms. Bazner said. ?Our web and social traffic are over 65 percent and 75 percent respectively, and therefore utility and function has to come first. 

?For example, in web design we know mobile users are more than likely trying to find a location, so directions, addresses and restaurant phone numbers need to be available instantaneously,? she said. ?Social platforms are changing the way that their content is displayed on mobile more and more frequently. 

?Video content is auto played and given higher priority in social streams.  And mobile is the only user interface for channels like Instagram and Snapchat.  We want our fans to share content and mobile facilitates this as it is so much more about connection and communication than desktop.?