Arby's Doubles Down In Its Love/Hate Relationship with Jon Stewart

By Dustin Rowles | Videos | August 10, 2015 |

By Dustin Rowles | Videos | August 10, 2015 |

Last week, during the penultimate episode of Jon Stewart’s run on The Daily Show (*sob*), Arby’s ran the most self-deprecating commercial of all time, featuring clips of Stewart suggesting the fast-food chain is “like shock and awe for your bowels” or “the meal that’s a dare for your colon.”

That’s good advertising, and it reminded me of the ads that David Lynch’s Fire Walk with Me commercials ran, embracing the terrible reviews that critics were giving it. (It didn’t work for the Twin Peaks film, which earned $4 million and was quickly forgotten).

One wonders, in fact, if Jon Stewart’s hatred of Arby’s was surreptitious advertising for the company, especially given how often Stewart mentioned the company. Remember when Stewart announced his retirement?

Jon, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].

— Arby's (@Arbys) February 11, 2015

Advertising or not, indigestion or not, it’s working for Arby’s, and now they’re pushing it a step further (and we’re helping to promote them in announcing it) by naming a new sandwich inspiring by Jon Stewart, or more specifically, The Daily Show. The sandwich is called The Daily Deli, and will consist of double corned beef and deli mustard on marbled rye.

“It’s for Jon. It’s for all of us, to eat at Arby’s whenever the sad thought comes back,” Ving Rhames says in the ad.

But will we think of Jon when we shit ourselves afterwards? If so, it’s the greatest revenge prank Arby’s could ever pull.

via AV Club