• Ad Age, Wednesday, March 26, 2008 12 PM

Wendy's ads will appear on Ecast, a broadband "touch-screen media network" that provides digital music to 5,100 bars and restaurants located within one mile of one of the fast-feeder's franchises. The expectation is that late-night revelers will stumble on a Wendy's ad while browsing for a song to play. When touched, the ads expand into a full microsite, including directions to the nearest Wendy's.

Research shows that half of Ecast's users stop on the way home to get something to eat. "But do you really need science to tell you that people go to bars, have a few drinks and get hungry?" says Ecast's senior vp-advertising sales, George Giatzis.

Wendy's spokesman Bob Bertini says the chain did its first promotion with Ecast in January touting its 99-cent Stack Attack, but it's too early to quantify return on investment. He points out that music is "obviously very important" to the 18- to-34-year-old consumer the chain is aggressively pursuing.

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