Wendy’s will run its first-ever Super Bowl ad during Sunday’s matchup between the Patriots and the Falcons, a multimillion-dollar effort to counter a widely held impression that its burgers are made from frozen beef. But don’t expect so much as a mention of the chain by name.
Instead, the commercial is ostensibly for another business, Othr Guyz LLC. The 30-second spot provides a peek inside Othr Guyz’s cold storage facilities, which are jammed with frozen burger patties.
The commercial ends with an invitation to try fresh beef and a long shot of Wendy’s logo.
Also depicted on the screen is a web address, Othr-Guyz.com. The site features infomercials for something called Freezy Diskz, a versatile product that looks like a rock-hard frozen burger patty but can be used for everything from a drink coaster to a door stopper. It is not intended for cooking, the site explains.
The Freezy Diskz even has a spokesman who’s quoted on the site, body builder and former Incredible Hulk portrayer Lou Ferrigno.
Visitors are invited to purchase Freezy Diskz, but the e-commerce function is currently “frozen,” an alert explains.
Meanwhile, commercials blasting Wendy’s for always selling burgers made with fresh beef are on a continual loop.
The initial Super Bowl ad is intended to correct the misperception that Wendy’s uses frozen beef, just like its competitors. Seven out of 10 consumers don’t believe Wendy’s exclusively uses unfrozen beef, according to one of the chain’s advertising agencies, Ketchum.
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