In the battle royal for fast food supremacy, Wendy’s is using branded merchandise to promote its long-standing practice of cooking with fresh beef – and to seemingly score a marketing victory against archrivals like McDonald’s.

Dublin, OH-based Wendy’s has teamed up with fashion designer Don C. to release a limited edition collection of logoed streetwear as part of a “March Madness” promotion. Keeping with the basketball theme, the line includes b-ball jerseys, hoodies, flatbill hats and T-shirts with Wendy’s branding on a basketball graphic.

Mike Coppola, Getty Images for Wendy’s

As you can see, the apparel bears the slogan “Fresh Since Day One” and messaging like “Fresh”. Not for sale, one of the only ways you can score the merch is through online giveaways obtainable by using the hashtag #TeamFresh on social media. Why all the emphasis on freshness? Sure, it plays into the hip streetwear image – a kind of old-school parlance that Wendy’s is “fresh,” or cool.

But even more saliently perhaps, it’s a reference to the fact that Wendy’s cooks its burgers with fresh beef. As USA Today reports, McDonald’s has begun to introduce burgers made from fresh beef, but has been known to cook up its flagship product from frozen beef. Wendy’s has poked fun at McDonald’s on social media and in a Super Bowl commercial for using frozen beef. The new apparel line sure seems to subtly continue that, capitalizing on what Wendy’s sees as a competitive advantage by branding the fast food chain as the “O.G.” of freshness in the burger joint wars.

“With streetwear culture, there’s a motivation to be fresh and authentic with your style,” Carl Loredo, Wendy’s vice president of brand and advertising, was quoted as saying by USA Today. “Likewise, Wendy’s has been passionate about being fresh since day one, so this collaboration just made sense.”

Mike Coppola, Getty Images for Wendy’s

Wendy’s is the official hamburger of the NCAA. In addition to online giveaways, Wendy’s is also giving out its “Fresh” gear at the annual collegiate basketball tournament known as “March Madness” during regional tournament games and at the Final Four weekend in San Antonio.

Like Wendy’s, other fast food purveyors and food chains seem, of late, to be increasing their use of limited edition logoed apparel to promote their lines. In some cases, the self-promotion comes with a healthy dose of altruism, like with IHOP’s new PancakeWear by IHOP. Part of the breakfast maker’s “60 Days of Giving Campaign,” a portion of the proceeds from the line will benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. The apparel is all about comfort, featuring cozy socks, sleepwear/loungewear pants, and onesies for adults and kids.

Courtesy of IHOP

Still, of all the food/restaurant-related apparel to come out lately, our personal favorite has to be Arby’s “meat sweats” -- sweat suits covered head to toe with close-up photorealistic images of sliced meat. Behold the majesty of meat:

Courtesy of Arby’s