I am wondering what Wendy's is trying to achieve with this new ad. I remember the annoying little lady who spoke the popular catch phrase "where's the beef?". Is Wendy's targeting me? I guess they see me as one of the demographic who remembers this catch phrase; one of many useless catch phrases from that decade. Am I part of a niche group; a piece of the long tail? In the great depression, movies were created to be irrelevant diversions. Fun and dynamic, an everything goes mentality to cheer up the depressed masses. Is Wendy's resurrecting the petulant old lady to distract me from this economy while promoting their cheap food? I don't know but I don't want to eat at Wendy's or work at Wendy's. I want to prosper again just like a did only a few years ago before everything went pear shaped.
Congrats, Sonia! You figured out the interface, and you created your first post.
ReplyDeleteWith "Where's the Beef?" you're talking about [mass] television advertising. In the bigger picture of integrated marketing communications (IMC), this is just one small part of the conversational mix. We'll talk about this in detail ... in time.
As it relates to Audience, if you recall the original, then they've done their job. That nostaglic recollection is part of the strategy.
I, too, recall the original, and while I don't want to eat or work at Wendy's either (OK, I might crave fries & a Frosty occasionally), the campaign is also a reminder of a time when I would eat fries & a Frosty while shopping at the mall with my Mom. I was a teenager. I didn't have life responsibilities. And that was a very different time than these "pear-shaped" times that we face today.
The downside to mass advertising? Waste. There will be plenty who don't like the ad, the campaign, or the brand. And if you don't have fond recollections of that point in history -- with or without Wendy's -- that is where mass advertising misses the mark.
For those who weren't even born in the mid-80s (gulp), the brand's objective is to capture a new, younger audience. There's a cool factor to the 80s-90's kitsch that only this new target audience will ultimately "get."
Wendy's is approaching two very different audience segments. Both are appropriate. Within those two large segments, we can slice & dice even further. And this is where the more conversational digital/social media PR programs can ultimately come into play.
I took didn't take a shine to the old lady asking in an annoying tone "Where's the beef?"
ReplyDeleteIt was just a turn off to hear. Nonetheless, I thought that phrase conveyed a very important meaning.
If you really want to win over the public on something (product, campaign, speech, etc), it better pack robust quality. After all, nobody's game for something lame.
It's funny that you touched on the economy and the wish for prosperity towards the end of your blog. That's because the underlying thought behind "Where's the beef?" makes me think of Washington's anti-recession efforts.
The old lady in the Wendy's commercial is clamoring for essence in the restaurant's product. Likewise, countless Americans are calling out for substance from the goverment's economic policies (especially given the partisan bickering in Congress). Unfortunately, that is a much taller order than a Wendy's hamburger.