After 5 Short-Lived Campaigns, Wendy’s Will Focus on Freshness
After five marketing campaigns in almost as many years, hamburger chain Wendy’s on Friday is launching a high-stakes ad blitz aimed at reviving its brand by stressing freshness and quality—the pitch du jour for many companies in the food business.
Wendy’s says the new campaign, its biggest in years, includes 25 TV and 23 radio spots, 16 billboard ads and a slew of online promotions. The chain plans to spend about $75 million on the effort in the fourth quarter, according to people familiar with the matter. Wendy’s, part of Wendy’s / Arby’s Group, of Atlanta, will use the slogan “You know when it’s real” to tout the freshness of its food and poke fun at competitors.
A new Wendy’s spot pokes fun at competitors using frozen burgers. One TV ad shows vignettes of fakes, including a man in a bad toupee and a woman dressed as the Statue of Liberty, nestled between images of Wendy’s food. A jingle asserts: “We never freeze ’em like a hockey puck, or keep ’em stuck in a warming tray, like some others may.”
