Wendy's Hosts a 24-Hour Tweet-a-Thon To Raise Awareness Of Barbecue Inaccessibility

DUBLIN, Ohio, Oct. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

WHAT:            

Wendy's^® is hosting the first-ever, 24-hour barbecue-themed Tweet-a-Thon to shed light on the barbecue inaccessibility cause in celebration of Wendy's new limited-time BBQ Pulled Pork menu. On October 8, actor and dancer Alfonso Ribeiro will join Wendy's to host a portion of the Tweet-a-Thon, where he will respond in real-time to consumer tweets and act out specific barbecue-related requests.

As a nod to old-school telethons, barbecue fans can join the cause on Twitter using the hashtag #BBQ4merica to band together to help Wendy's meet hourly 'Merica Meter goals to unlock surprises, such as celebrity cameos from actor and filmmaker Ralph Macchio and pro wrestling Hall of Famer Steve Austin, and win swag^*. Cause-supporters can also participate in "challenges" by "sponsoring" their friends who are "barbecuilly deprived" and by tagging them with #BBQ4merica to be recognized on Wendy's barbecue for 'Merica Big Board.

WHY:

Wendy's recognizes the barbecue deprivation outside the traditional "Barbecue Belt" of the United States and is providing a solution with Wendy's new BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich, BBQ Pulled Pork Cheeseburger and BBQ Pulled Pork Cheese Fries, along with a choice of three custom-crafted sauces – Sweet, Smoky or Spicy – to fit consumers' personal barbecue style.

WHEN/WHERE:     

• Wednesday, October 8 – Thursday, October 9, 2014
• Online at Twitter.com/Wendys and Wendy's Tweet-a-Thon headquarters

HOW TO GET INVOLVED: WENDY'S #BBQ4merica CAMPAIGN:  

All month long, barbecue fans passionate about the barbecue inaccessibility cause can get involved by:

• "Sponsoring" their friends by tagging them on Twitter and Tumblr using the hashtag #BBQ4merica for a chance to win free giveaways^*
• Signing Wendy's official online petition (http://wh.gov/ilDzm) to the White House to ask for a Presidential Proclamation to make barbecue a National Dish of America – Petition closes on October 19, 2014
• Stopping by the official #BBQ4merica hub (www.bbq4merica.com)

^*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Ends 11/16/14. Open to legal residents of the 50 US and DC, 18+. Void where prohibited. For official rules, go to http://wendys.tumblr.com/bbq4merica-official-rules    

BBQ Pulled Pork available at participating Wendy's for a limited time.

ABOUT THE WENDY'S COMPANY

The Wendy's Company is the world's third largest quick-service hamburger company. The Wendy's system includes more than 6,500 franchise and Company restaurants in the United States and 29 countries and U.S. territories worldwide. For more information, visit www.wendys.com or www.aboutwendys.com.

**Photography and background information available upon request.**

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jenn Bins
Ketchum On Behalf of Wendy's
404-879-9062
[email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141007/150772

SOURCE The Wendy's Company