DUBLIN, Ohio -- Wendy's, the third largest burger chain in the U.S., announced that it will end its controversial “That’s Right” campaign. The ads, running since last May, feature a red wig-wearing protagonists proclaiming “I deserve a hot juicy burger.”
Next week they will be canned in favor of the new “Waaaay Better Than Fast Food. It’s Wendy’s” TV ads which focus primarily on the chain’s quality food, BrandWeek reports.
Now almost six years after founder Dave Thomas’ death, the chain is still struggling to find an identity. While “Mr. Wendy” and other offerings failed to resonate with consumers, the red wig campaign was especially polarizing among critics and franchisees.
The red wigs "grabbed a lot of attention but I have to admit, the focal point, was that we were not seeing the type of sales results that we needed to see," said Bob Holtcamp, vice president of brand marketing for Wendy's. "The red wig did get noticed, but from a tone and voice of the brand [standpoint], we wanted to take what we were hearing from consumers that was positive and expand on that...in a way that's a bit more authentic and honest for the brand."
The new campaign was unveiled at the company’s annual convention in Orlando. Ads will star an animated version of the iconic Wendy character. In one, Wendy will wield a fishing rod to promote the fast feeder’s new hand-cut, North Pacific Cod fish sandwich. In another, to promote the brand’s Super Value Menu, Wendy will clutch a small piggy bank.
"She symbolizes the simple, honest, straight-forward genuine part of Wendy's, so utilizing her as a brand icon is a bit more real approach to our brand communication," said Holtcamp. "She also, for many people, means good food and this whole campaign is designed to get right back to the food and make it the hero again. So there's a great synergy there, between Wendy as the icon and our message around the food."