WENDY'S
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WENDY'S x
In the portfolio section, I talk about Wendy’s and their advertising methods, which includes them pushing their motto of being “fresh” and “never frozen.” As such, I created a campaign for them that tackled another perspective that Wendy’s can touch.
I consider that section an example of “left-brain” thinking: leading with logic, then use my skills as a graphic designer to bring it life.
The advertisements below are what I consider thinking more with the right side of my brain — leading off with a creative idea, and then turning it into an approach that sounds logical. As a result, the advertisements have more appeal from a visual perspective than a storytelling perspective.
Idea#2: Wendy’s x Pandora
Pandora is known for two things: being a company that sells jewelry, and also having a streaming service for music and podcasts. This piece serves as a native advertisement — for the latter, not the jewelry store, funny enough.
As the audience swipes between music, ads will start to show up — this being one of them. Knowing your taste through the algorithms, Wendy’s will challenge that by offering something “hotter”: their food.
Grab a bite to eat while you continue organizing your playlist. Wendy’s — richer in ingredients than any jewelry store.
Idea#1: Never Cutting Corners
At Wendy's, they take pride in their burgers — not only because their beef patties are fresh and never frozen, but they also never compromise their quality. From their hand-cut lettuce and ripe tomatoes, to their signature square beef patties, each burger is crafted with care, being both appealing by viusals and by taste.
This advertisement serves to highlight that, being an attention grabber from its visuals to the typography. It’s also meant to be marketed as a display advertisement on YouTube, taking a good amount of attention away from the video the audience is currently watching.
Idea#3: The Only Frozen Ingredient
The irony of Wendy’s not having frozen ingredients but also selling Frosty’s — a dessert made to be cold — is an idea I had to explore. This touches upon outdoor advertising, meant to be displayed in subway stations during the winter seasons. Steering away from their heavily advertised food, touching their dessert options is an approach I rarely see. As such, with Frosty’s being another famous option, making an ad that acknowledges it was a given for a designer like myself.
Of course, hot chocolates are the way to go — but if the winter mood ever made you crave something frozen, Wendy’s can make ONE exception — with their fresh, “never frozen” Frosty.
Idea#4: Twitter Formatted Advertisement
If you’ve been on social media long enough (especially Twitter), you may have came across another form of marketing that Wendy’s is known for: their snarky social media posts. By roasting other fast food businesses and replying to negative comments, Wendy’s tapped into a fanbase that appreciated the way Wendy’s combats negativity and false advertising — relating to both the younger audience who found it funny and the older audience who felt seen for the same criticisms.
This is what led into making these advertisements: combining two of Wendy’s market strategies into an advertisement that can capture the same humorous manner. The left is another outdoor advertisement; the right is print advertisement, meant for magazines that are fast-food based. The key was making it into a Twitter format, all while altering certain design elements and principles, like color and balance. That way, both ads can have a more visually appealing look while making the format recognizable to the audience’s eye.
Idea#5: Roast-a-thon: Wendy vs. The Audience
Expanding the previous idea further, another opportunity is expanding it to it’s audience — in an all-out roast battle! With plans of this being a banner advertisement also on YouTube, users can get interactive with Wendy’s, with a chance to get a coupon through roast submissions!
By clicking the link in the bottom right, users will be taken to the Wendy’s website, where there is a portion dedicated to submitting a burn against Wendy herself. Anything the company finds funny will get featured on their page, and as a result, creating engagement with the community, making them feel seen and heard.
This advertisement ties into Wendy’s identity well — someone that knows how to engage people, in a manner that is “fresh”, but still professional. By engaging with the community, the community in turn can engage with Wendy’s food, attracting more attention.
Taking design into account, the ad creates a feeling of repetition in the background, yet balanced in the foreground with the typography and logo. Simple, yet effective — another good way to describe Wendy’s personality.