By Zanub Saeed
As part of annual Cow Appreciation Day this Friday, July 13, Chick-fil-A fast-food chains across the country will be giving away free meals to those who come into their restaurants dressed from head to toe, or "head to hoof," as cows.
The free meal giveaway will be available for either breakfast, lunch or dinner, including any entrée of choice, a side dish, and any soft drink or beverage the stores sell, said a press release issued by Chick-fil-A, Inc. on Monday. Consumers who wear partial cow outfits, including any attire piece with cow spots or patterns, will be given a free entrée at participating Chick-fil-A stores.
"Cow Appreciation Day certainly demonstrates just how passionate our customers are," Steve Robinson, Chick-fil-A's chief marketing officer, stated for the press release. "If you're willing to dress up like a cow for a free meal, you're obviously a loyal and even raving Chick-fil-A fan. While the event is a natural tie with our cow-themed marketing campaign, Cow Appreciation Day is intended to be a fun day to reward some of our most loyal customers with free food. After a record number of participants in 2011, we're excited to see the growth of the event- and the creativity of our customers- in 2012."
Chick-fil-A went all-out for Cow Appreciation Day, including launching a website just for the occasion that will give customers ideas on how to dress as cows for Friday, and have downloadable cow spots, masks, and accessories for customers to add to their costumes, said the press release. A costume contest was also launched on Chick-fil-A's official Facebook page, where those who post photos of themselves dressed as the bovine creatures can win prizes like beach towels with the fast-food chain's logo, gift cards, and even catered parties, noted the press release. That contest will launch on Friday and run through the end of the month.
This is the eighth year that Chick-fil-A has launched its Cow Appreciation Day for consumers to get dressed up as cows. In 2011, almost 600,000 people in the U.S. dressed as cows to get free meals at Chick-fil-A stores, said the press release, with their outfits ranging from something as simple as T-shirts with cows on them, to head to toe costumes that even included cow bells and furry ears.
