The Slightly Salacious, and Semi-Disgusting, Trend in Fast Food Advertising

By B.L. Ochman
The trend in online fast food advertising is toward the slightly salacious, and semi-disgusting.

Social media component? Other than a really lame try by KFC: none. Long-term strategy? None. Gimmicks: galore.

Since I'm sure someone other than teenage boys eats in fast food restaurants, I have to wonder - yet again - what are these ad agencies (and their clients) thinking? Or not thinking, as the case may be.

Carl's Jr Milkshake
Carl's Jr ad for a new orange milkshake did not make me want to drink one.

As a bovomaniac vegetarian, it actually made me feel really bad for the cows, being mauled by these two young men, who are enjoying rubbing themselves on the cows just a little too much.

White Castle
Oddly, since I thought hamburgers were made of dead cows, a person in a pig suit is doing a suggestive dance (well, as suggestive as a person in a pig suit can be) and then squirts bar-b-que sauce all over itself and some customers.

"What do you crave?" asks the female voice.
"Vegetables!" say I!

KFC - successfully unthinking
KFC wants us to Unthink and dance while eating chicken. Sorry, but chewing chicken parts while dancing is kinda gross, even if they are grilled instead of fried.

They're also having a KFC Unthink Grilled Dance Off - which has received all of four video entries in a month. And only the one with the baby is even cute.

Yet, there are 688 videos in search results for "KFC c"hicken day" and 659 under KFC free chicken. Apparently, KFC's failed free chicken promotion with Oprah left a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths. As one headline puts it, "REthink KFC!

None of these ads were cheap to produce. None of them have a strategy that's likely to outlive their gimmicks. And none of them make me hungry. How about you?

UPDATE June 27: The trend continues
- Hardee's Ups Ante in Fast-Food Smutfest
- Dear Fast Feeders, Please Keep Your Meat Away From the Ladies, Sexualized Sandwich Bits Are Getting Tired, Disgusting

Since I don't watch much TV, I wasn't familiar with the commercial selections you spoke of. I watched the clips that were hyperlinked in, and I think you are maybe a little too harsh in your criticisms. Perhaps because you are a vegan, all these are offensive to you.

If you look at white castle, they are advertising a new pork product, they are trying to make it 'sexy, naughty and inviting' -- but look at their target marketing audience. From my experience, the only times I ever ate White Castle was when I was like 19 after the bar closed and you needed to get something in your stomach to absorb the alcohol. That is the who they are targeting, so the commercial, although not appealing to me or you, is not offensive.

I haven't seen those ads (I'm really not their target audience as I haven't eaten fast food for a good 5 years!) but I totally get what you're saying. I have seen similar style advertising, and it really doesn't make me want to eat the food.

Without a strategy its hard to make advertising work.

Sorry, I'm too busy NOT buying "Square Butt" kids meals from Burger king for my son.

*sigh*

B.L. -

You are not alone in your comments. Joseph Jaffe from Crayon shared similar sentiments via Jaffe Juice TV last week. Check it out here at http://bit.ly/g0lPT

I agree with you that many of the recent executions by QSRs all share symptoms of a bigger problem - lack of strategy and understanding how to truly connect and engage the audience beyond cheap and tacky stunts or desperate campaigns. If these companies and their agencies spent some time thinking about the everyday life needs of their consumers, they might actually discover a compelling and successful way to use the social media tools.

However, IMO this problem is not just limited to QSRs, but they as a category seems to be guilty of the more recent social media/digital failings. Is it me, or are they following after one another? These brands may want to stop and look and learn from each other before they leap into their next campaign effort.

More about this topic to come on my blog in the next few weeks - stay tuned :)

Cheers,
Michelle Batten
@iMWConnect

These fast food ads have failed in the very ways you've explained.
These companies could really benefit from focusing on your suggestions.
Looking forward to your posts!

thats funny. i still LOVE chik-fil-a large cardboard ads of cows saying "eat more chicken". makes me laugh every time i walk past one.

I have to agree with you here. The new Carl's Jr. (or Hardee's if you are in the south) commercial is somewhat gross and makes me think more of calling PETA for animal assault than drinking a milkshake. There's also the huge burgers with pastrami, bacon, cheese, onion rings, etc that they always have plop down from nowhere while splattering and oozing that us somewhat revolting, even for a meat eater like myself.

I do have to give kudos to Chick-fil-a, Burger King, and Jack in the Box because if anything their commercials are enjoyable and sometimes laugh out loud funny. I don't ever eat at Burger King but I usually make it a point to watch the TV if I see they have a new commercial on.

BTW- can someone please do something about that awful McDonald's song-- "Ba, Ba, Ba, Ba, Baa...I'm Loving It"? Horrible, just horrible.

I love the BK I like Square Butts campaign. Super catchy, appealing to both children and adults who listened to hip-hop in the 90s.