Wendy's fast food restaurant has recently made an attempt to differentiate themselves from their tough competitors, McDonalds and Burger King. Instead of reiterating how fast their service is or how friendly their staff, Wendy's revamped their burger and brought history and family into it.
Wendy's new advertising campaign for their "Hot 'N Juicy Cheeseburgers" brings back the catchphrase from their 1984 hit commercial "Where's the beef?" The TV advertisement depicted three elderly women crowded over a burger with a massive bun and minimal meat. The ad was a hit in pop culture and has been very memorable throughout the years. Wendy's used it as a teaser for their new product. The commercial showcased a 25 second fast-forward through time and ended with a three second clip of the woman saying "Where's the beef?" Next week, as an answer to the teaser clip, these two new advertisements will start running:
- Reid Ewing from "Modern Family" learns about the 1984 ad from a vintage t-shirt he is wearing. He's walking down the street, confused as to what it means and then ends up in front of Wendy's. There is a poster saying "Here's the beef!" with a savoury a picture of the new Hot 'N Juicy burger.
- Actors will play Dave Thomas (founder) and his daughter (Wendy), then flashes to the real Wendy Thomas as she describes the new product and how the Hot 'N Juicy burgers would make her father so proud that he would say "Here's the beef!"
Wendy's is trying especially hard to reach a larger target market. Due to the economic downfall, people have trended towards fast food restaurants. Wendy's recognized this change in culture habits and is trying to capitalize on it. They have reached out to an older crowd by using humor from an older advertisement, while also reaching out to the younger generation by using the young famous celebrity, Reid Ewing. Not only is this branching out to a larger market, but it is forming an emotional connection with both segments. Each age segment feels connected to the brand and a sense of personal familiarity with Wendy’s. Creating a brand relationship is key in advertising and is attempted by every brand.
Due to the connection with the younger crowd, Wendy’s will most likely see stronger business at mid afternoon and late-night since their spending patterns and social activities trend that way. Teens tend to grab burgers after class or practice or late on weekend nights. Wendy’s will gain exponentially by creating a relationship with the older crowd because they will see business forming in their usual “slow- hours.” The elderly tend to eat earlier than the rest, somewhere between the hours of 11- 1 and 4-7, therefore closing the gap between rushes.
The use of an old, yet still famous advertisement also shows consumers that Wendy's is a timeless product. It defines the Wendy's brand as reliable, high-quality and classic. This brand image is also further reiterated through the use of family in the advertising. The consumers build a relationship with the brand because they can directly relate to the Thomas family. They feel a personal connection to the family and therefore to the brand. The consumers translate their trust in Wendy Thomas and her father as trust in the brand in general.
However, no one is perfect... not even Wendy. Here is a point for improvement:
- Problem: The three second jogging of the consumers' memory is not long enough. The new teaser ad is so short that it is hard to really realize what's going on. Solution: Instead of showing such a brief video clip of the 1984 advertisement, try to captivate the audience more by using the entire advertisement. It will spark memory in the older customers, and will form curiosity in the minds of the younger customers.
Next time Wendy's should tease a little less and show a little more, but kudos for broadening the market and creating brand relationships. Do you think this was a successful ploy? Who is excited to try the new burger?!
Stamp of Approval,
The AD Judge
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