Wendy’s is reviving its famous “Where’s the Beef?” slogan, beginning this weekend at the Daytona 500 and likely continuing through March Madness. The chain joins rivals such as Burger King and McDonald's that are putting new twists on classic fast-food marketing in a move to energize old fans while winning new ones.
Wendy's slogan—part of one of the most iconic campaigns in fast food history—will be referenced in promotions around Wendy’s sponsorship of a car in this weekend’s Daytona 500, part of an effort to differentiate the chain's square burgers.
“‘Where’s the Beef?’ was an iconic campaign in the 1980s highlighting our high-quality, fresh, never frozen square hamburger that became a part of culture,” Carl Loredo, chief marketing officer of Wendy’s, said in emailed comments. “We think it's time to revisit the power of the past with a fresh marketing take to connect with our customers and continue to celebrate our proven track record of delivering the freshest, hottest and juiciest hamburgers for our fans.”
In 1984, “Where’s the Beef?” began as an exclamation of a woman looking at a big bun and a tiny burger in a commercial that contrasted the size of Wendy’s burgers vs. those of its competitors.