Arby’s still has the meats—this time, the meats include a thirteen-hour smoked brisket and six hour pulled pork, brought to life in a campaign starring comedy legends Anthony Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer. Directed by JamsBash of WW7, this series of films highlights two remarkably funny friends eating sandwiches, smoking meats, and cracking jokes because, after all, a brand putting that much time, energy, and effort into preparing their meat feels like a joke. But it’s not. It’s Arby’s. And they’re actually smoking their meat for up to thirteen hours. Along with it, they’re featuring special AC Barbeque sauces inspired by Anthony and Cedric’s personalities (spicy and sweet, respectively).
Comedy meets craft with these films, thanks to the directorial lens of JamsBash, who would describe themselves as world builders first, pit masters second. Leaning into the naturally cinematic atmosphere of a backyard barbecue, the environment of these films feels tactile, lived-in, and authentic. To emphasize these elements, JamsBash directed the two real-life friends and comedy superstars to lean into their inherent charm and humor, with Anthony Anderson embodying the high-energy and animated end of the comedic spectrum, and Cedric the Entertainer holding it down with his smooth and unbothered confidence. Short, sharp comedic vignettes perfectly entice prospective Arby’s-eaters with this literal and metaphorical special sauce of premium barbecue craftsmanship and high-quality friendships (both on and off screen).
On directing the campaign, JamsBash shared: “Anthony Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer are essential to our comedy education in many ways. Our sense of humor—the way we think about timing, delivery, contrast—was shaped by the legacy of these two important comics. Working with these absolute legends of the game was such a blast. We can’t remember the last time we had so much fun on set, and we couldn’t be more stoked on the final campaign.”
