Dive Brief:
- Fast-food chain White Castle is launching a highly concentrated, 100% White Castle Whey Protein Powder in stores nationwide beginning April 1, a news release announced.
- To promote the product, the brand released an infomercial-style YouTube video where a muscle-clad man asks viewers if they want to get "swole." The new protein powder, the company said, contains the "power of 27 sliders with a touch of onions" that have been granulated into 189 grams of pure whey protein. The package features the tagline "eat, whey and slay."
- White Castle is working with distributors to release the product internationally. The fast-food brand is also planning to introduce alternate protein sources for its White Castle Whey, including Chicken Rings, Fish Nibblers and Veggie Sliders. Consumers can order the protein powder by calling 1-833-EAT-WHEY-SLAY.
Dive Insight:
Fast-food and fitness-crazed consumers excited about the release of White Castle Whey might be disappointed if the protein supplement is not actually on store shelves on April 1, or April Fools' Day. As far as brand pranks go, the burger chain's is pretty comprehensive, however, including a parodic infomercial and special hotline for ordering. Wingstop, another fast-food chain, similarly set up a 1-844-WING-LUV hotline for Valentine's Day this year, offering up oddball products like a wing bouquet.
Ribbing the current fitness craze is a crafty approach for White Castle, even if its just an April Fools gag. Sales of dietary and nutritional supplements are projected to reach $18.3 billion by 2020, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.2% between 2016 and 2020, according to a Research and Markets report.
This isn't the burger chain's first go at prankish stunts either. For April Fools' Day last year, it introduced the one-calorie "Nano Slider," and announced plans to apply its shrinking technology so that it could properly grill the microscopic burgers.
