Arby’s Does Quick U-Turn On Speed Ads

The president of Arby’s fast-food restaurants is putting the brakes on the national TV ads that say Montana has no speed limit, the governor’s office said Thursday.

Roland Smith, proving himself to be a speedy fellow, replied by telephone one day after Gov. Marc Racicot wrote him a good-humored request to change the ads, which deal with a roast-beef sandwich special.

Smith told Racicot that Arby’s would have the ads changed immediately to show that Montana does have a speed limit, Racicot’s communications director, Andrew Malcolm, said.

“We are absolutely delighted, because at no cost to us, millions of Americans will now see that we do have a speed limit: reasonable and prudent,” Malcolm said.

“Whatever huge sum of money they (Arby’s) are spending, they are getting out the message we never could, that Montana has a ‘reasonable and prudent’ speed limit.”

Malcolm said Smith told Racicot he hoped to come to Montana someday, and when he did he would be sure his driving was reasonable and prudent. Racicot replied that he would meet Smith at Arby’s.

The revised ads should appear in the next few days, Malcolm said.