Throughout my youth, I distinctively remember Wendy ads. They stood out from all the many fast food commercials I saw. I always had faith that Dave Thomas was going to edify me with his good burger making know-how, as dependable as a sunrise. But when he died, a black-hole began to appear around Wendy’s advertising. A black-hole that evolved from conformity to just plain mediocrity.

Now Crispin, Porter, Bogusky has set a new style for fast food commercials with their work for Burger King. The Burger King work is odd ball, but more unique from the King through the recent “Whopper Discontinued” Ads. Wendy’s has been required to answer, but instead of something new and fresh was just a bad knockoff. They took Burger King’s style, replaced the BK King with an average Joe wearing a Red pig-tailed wig, who with this wig was supposed to proclaim individuality in the burger making world. This be-wigged but average Joe came to the realization that only a Wendy’s burger could lead him to true salvation. This came off as blatant mimicking of BK’s style. The Red Wig was lost in the shadow of the BK King.

Red wigs are absent from the new Wendy work. Instead there are just normal people enjoying Wendy’s burgers. Whether Crispin’s style of advertising is wearing thin or the consumer saw through Wendys façade, it is safe to assume Wendy’s misses Dave as much as I do.

Wendy’s Tactic

BK’s Tactic

Justin Leavitt, Art Director

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