• by Teresa Buyikian , June 25, 2024

Most burger chains wouldn’t say that their latest offering is just a mess of existing ingredients put together for a limited time only. But that’s Whataburger did, resulting in a hilariously memorable TV campaign.

Today Whataburger reintroduced its LTO Buffalo Ranch Chicken Strip Sandwich, consisting of three chicken strips with Whataburger’s signature Buffalo Sauce and Buttermilk Ranch, topped with two slices of Monterey Jack Cheese on a five-inch toasted bun.

“A Beautiful Mess-terpiece” is the creative campaign created by agency McGarrah Jessee (McJ) for the LTO, which sings the sandwiches’ praises -- literally.

Part Ricola-esque yodeling, part "Sound of Music" grandiosity, the :30 and :15 spots depict various people dressed in the chain’s signature orange, very seriously singing out the ingredients of the Buffalo Ranch Chicken Strip Sandwich amidst a lush bucolic hillside landscape (actually a greenscreen). A group of men harmonize “Chicken Strips Chicken Strips Chicken Strips” while another man pops in with a falsetto “Raannnch.” A woman in cowgirl gear yodels “Buffaloooo-oooo” while two additional orange-dress-clad women add in the “Monterey Jack Cheese.” The super introduces the sandwich with the tag “A Beautiful Mess-terpiece.”

“The Buffalo Ranch Chicken Strip ‘musical’ is a whimsical personification of each glorious ingredient,” said Whataburger Vice President of Marketing and Communication Donna Tuttle in a release. She noted further that J have this "ridiculously creative and synergistic spirit" “the internal Whataburger marketing team and our agency of record McJ."

The spots were directed by Guy de la Palme and produced by Imposter, and will run across broadcast TV, radio, digital and social media.

To accompany the campaign, the chain has also released a limited-edition Buffalo Ranch Chicken Strip Sandwich Pillow, available in the official Whataburger online store.