• Ad Age, Tuesday, February 5, 2008 11:45 AM

Wendy's executives say that while its recently discarded red wig campaign broke through clutter and "did a lot of good things," it was wrong to base its strategy on being cool. Calling the campaign "polarizing," CEO Kerrii Anderson says, "we can't be something we aren't."

A new $435-million campaign breaking today bears the slogan: "It's waaaay better than fast food. It's Wendy's." The first spot launches a premium fish-fillet sandwich. Others will highlight the chain's claim that its burgers are fresh, never frozen. Wendy's will also update menu boards and point-of-purchase displays to reflect the look and feel of the advertising.

Before finalizing the campaign, Wendy's conducted tests in five markets pitting the new Kirshenbaum Bond ads against the red-wig ads from former agency Saatchi & Saatchi, according to Wendy's vice president-brand management Bob Holtcamp. "What consumers fed back was this new approach was more true to the fundamental principles of the brand," he says.

Read the whole story at Ad Age »