As the Twitter commotion intensified, the Popeyes chicken sandwich reportedly sold out at some locations.

“Look at how much attention they’re getting — it’s impressive,” said Jonathan Maze , the executive editor of Restaurant Business Magazine , a trade publication. “All this is really going to do frankly is embolden other chains to do similar things when they introduce new products.”

In the chicken wars this week, fast-food rivals seemed intent on stirring up trouble. Take this exchange between Wendy’s and Popeyes:

Wendy’s: “Y’all out here fighting about which of these fools has the second best chicken sandwich.”

Popeyes: “Sounds like someone just ate one of our biscuits. Cause y’all looking thirsty.”

Wendy’s: “lol, guess that means the food’s as dry as the jokes.”

To some, these Twitter antics may seem juvenile. But many brands have discovered that one easy way to cut through the social media noise is to poke fun at the competition. In fast food, Wendy’s has arguably the sassiest corporate Twitter account in the country. Now, Popeyes is starting to catch up.

“If you’re a fast-food brand,” Mr. Maze said, “you have to have a strong social media game.”

In a statement, Felipe Athayde , the Popeyes president for the Americas, declined to reveal how many chicken sandwiches the chain has sold. But he said the response from customers had been “extraordinary.”