Since its splashy debut on September 30, OpenAI’s Sora app has dominated the iOS App Store charts. With its effortless AI video generation and a relaxed approach to copyright rules, Sora quickly became a viral sensation—holding the number one spot for weeks. But on Friday, that reign came to an end. The new king of the App Store? Dave’s Hot Chicken.
Yes, you read that right. The fast-casual restaurant chain, known for its fiery chicken sliders and cheeky bug-eyed mascot, has claimed the top spot—leaving behind ChatGPT, Gemini, Threads, and other digital heavyweights. The secret ingredient to this success wasn’t advanced AI or a new social trend. It was something far simpler: free food.
How Free Sliders Took Over the App Store
Dave’s Hot Chicken launched a limited-time promotion offering a free slider to anyone who downloaded its app, in celebration of Drake’s birthday. The rapper, who became an investor in the chain back in 2021, turned 39 on Thursday. To mark the occasion, the brand handed out one free slider to every new or existing app user—an irresistible deal that sent download numbers soaring.
“Free food always gets the downloads flowing,” explains Adam Blacker, PR director at app analytics firm Apptopia. And this wasn’t just a small bump in traffic. According to Leon Davoyan, the company’s chief technology officer, Dave’s Hot Chicken typically sees between 20,000 and 25,000 new sign-ups to its loyalty program per week. But on Thursday alone, the promotion generated a staggering 343,531 new accounts—a more than 10% increase in the brand’s entire membership base in a single day.
A Marketing Masterclass with Celebrity Power
Drake’s connection to the brand adds a unique celebrity flair to the campaign. He reportedly made a significant profit when Dave’s sold a majority stake to Roark Capital for a $1 billion valuation. The annual “Drake Day” giveaway has now become a tradition—combining pop culture, smart marketing, and the universal appeal of free food.
“We’re celebrating a celebrity who’s popular and relevant, and also getting food in people’s mouths,” Davoyan says. The results speak for themselves: thousands of hungry fans, viral buzz, and a temporary but impressive takeover of the App Store.
Sora’s Brief Slip from the Throne
Meanwhile, Sora remains a cultural phenomenon in its own right. In just its first 23 days, the app racked up 3.2 million iOS downloads in the U.S., according to Sensor Tower—outpacing the early performance of ChatGPT, which had 2.3 million downloads in the same timeframe. That’s no small feat for an app that’s still invite-only and not yet available on Google Play.
OpenAI declined to comment on the sudden dethroning, but the company is expected to regain momentum once the Drake promotion subsides. Historically, Dave’s Hot Chicken has seen long-term benefits from this annual marketing push—downloads in the four weeks following last year’s giveaway remained more than 50% higher than the prior month.
So while Sora may soon reclaim its crown, Dave’s Hot Chicken has proven something timeless: free food beats free AI—at least for now.
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