In 2019, a college student created a spoof Facebook event to storm Area 51—a secretive U.S. Government Installation in the Nevada desert. What began as a light-hearted post, soon captured the intrigue and interest of audiences all over the world, going viral online and generating widespread media coverage. Before long, the joke had morphed into a real, music-themed weekend against the backdrop of Rachel, NV (the closest town to Area 51). Unbelievably, nearly two million Internet users RSVP'd to attend.

Arby’s—a brand known for meat-focused offerings noticed that “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us” was resonating strongly amongst millennials (its core customer audience), so they decided to get in on the action. They challenged Edelman to maximize on this social opportunity and create an authentic brand moment that would resonate with their target audience and cement their brand relevance among the group.

With thousands of millennials trekking out into the desert to find fun, it was inevitable they would need sustenance at some point, so we decided to support them in their quirky and fulfilled quest to “Storm Area 51” by doing what Arby’s does best...feeding them!