"Here's the Beef!" - Wendy's Introduces Dave's Hot 'N Juicy Cheeseburger

DUBLIN, Ohio, Sept. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- America, you may need another napkin.

Wendy's® is giving its cheeseburgers a complete "taste-lift" by totally reinventing it – beef patty, bun and toppings -- and aptly naming it Dave's Hot 'N Juicy™ Cheeseburger. An homage to Wendy's founder, Dave Thomas, the cheeseburger is the hottest and juiciest in the company's history.

"More than 40 years ago, my father named Wendy's after me," said Wendy Thomas. "Now, we get to name our hottest and juiciest cheeseburger after him. It would make him proud – and hungry!"

Made with 100 percent fresh, never-frozen, North American* beef without fillers, additives, preservatives or flavor boosters, Dave's Hot 'N Juicy Cheeseburger is Wendy's thickest, hottest and juiciest hamburger ever. The beef's rich, mouth-watering taste is complemented by a warm, buttered, toasted bun for added flavor and texture, with a carefully-chosen assortment of fresh, high-quality toppings that make the flavor even more sumptuous. Of course, it has a naturally-square shape that consumers fondly associate with Wendy's. (Cue the napkins!)

"Unlike other fast-food companies that freeze their beef, Wendy's has never compromised on freshness," said Gerard Lewis, Wendy's Senior Vice President of Product Development. "We believe that fresh beef simply tastes better.  With the new Dave's Hot 'N Juicy Cheeseburger, we can proudly tell cheeseburger lovers everywhere that at Wendy's, 'Here's the Beef!™'"

Wendy's – recent winner of the Top Food and Top Overall spots among Mega Chains in Zagat's 2011 Fast Food Survey – devoted more than two years to developing Dave's Hot 'N Juicy Cheeseburger, using input from 10,000 consumers across the country. The new made-to-order cheeseburger starts with fresh, North American* beef, and the patty is thicker so it will be juicier. It features crisp, hand-leafed lettuce; red-ripe tomatoes; two slices of melted American cheese; sweet, mild red onion rings; crinkle-cut dill pickles; and precise amounts of ketchup and real mayonnaise.

Even the packaging has received an overhaul, as every Dave's Hot 'N Juicy Cheeseburger is wrapped in wax paper and placed in a customized half-box designed to enhance the eating experience by protecting the cheeseburger.

The launch of Dave's Hot 'N Juicy Cheeseburger is being supported by one of the most extensive nationwide, integrated marketing communications campaigns, using TV, radio, print, out of home, web banners and various social and digital media. Created by Kaplan Thaler Group, the campaign features images and clips from the 1984 Wendy's iconic "Where's the Beef?®" commercials, starring the late Clara Peller.

The campaign includes two national waves of creative: a pre-launch "teaser" effort using the memorable "Where's the Beef?" phrase and images, running September 25 through October 2; and a "Here's the Beef!"-themed effort that rolls out October 2.

Among the highlights of this multi-faceted campaign:

• An electronic billboard in New York's Times Square that will cycle through a four-screen "Where's the Beef?"/"Here's the Beef!" treatment.
• "Little Wendy" TV commercials, marking the national debut of Wendy Thomas as she pays tribute to her father, Dave Thomas, by introducing this fresh, new take on the classic Wendy's cheeseburger.
• "T-Shirt" TV commercials, in which a young man wearing a vintage "Where's the Beef?" T-shirt doesn't understand why people call out the phrase until he sees a "Here's the Beef!" sign at a Wendy's store.
• Digital banner ads, including "Build," which opens with "Here's the Beef!" and an image of the cheeseburger that builds vertically and reveals pictures and details about each ingredient. This and the other banner ads include an option to download a coupon for a free Dave's Hot 'N Juicy Cheeseburger.  
• A new Facebook Application (facebook.com/wendys) featuring several hamburger-themed games and at the end of the APP, visitors can answer a question about Wendy's beef and register to receive one of 50,000 free T-shirts.
• A 26-city mobile "Tour of America" to distribute more than 37,000 free Hot 'N Juicy cheeseburgers to Americans. For a schedule of events, visit http://apps.facebook.com/tourofamerica/.

For more information about Dave's Hot 'N Juicy Cheeseburger, visit www.wendys.com, Twitter (@wendys) and Facebook (facebook.com/wendys).

* Fresh beef available in the contiguous United States and Canada.

About the Wendy's Company

Wendy's is one of the world's most successful restaurant companies with more than 6,600 restaurants worldwide.  More information about The Wendy's Company is available at www.wendys.com, or www.aboutwendys.com.

SOURCE Wendy's