Okay, sorry in advance for being crabby in this post. But if I don’t vent soon, my steering wheel will be pencil-thin at the 10 and 2 o’clock positions from excessive squeezing. My current job finds me driving a LOT. And listening to sports talk radio a LOT. And therefore, hearing the most obnoxious radio commercial in recent memory a LOT.
True confession, I already strongly disliked the redhead character who acts as Wendy’s shill in most of their recent broadcast ads. I find her unlikable and grating. I am also not a fan of Wendy’s laughable “now that’s better” tag line- which she smugly utters at the end of every spot as if it meant something.
But back to the offending radio spot. Wendy’s is apparently offering one of their sandwiches on “ciabatta” bread. So some copywriter – obviously one who can entertain himself for hours with a card that says “PLEASE SEE OTHER SIDE” on both sides – decided that such a peculiar word was perfect fodder for an oh-so-witty radio spot.
The spot – in case you’ve been fortunate enough not to hear it – features a dialogue between our heroine redhead and a friend named – of course – “Renatta.” They exchange insipid lines like ” It’s a ciabatta, Renatta.” and “He got a ciabatta, she got a ciabatta, everybody got a ciabatta.” Then, “red” comes back with possibly the worst-written line in radio history, saying “All except Greg – now he’s persona non grata.”
Hey, I GET it! It RHYMES with that FUNNY WORD. Hysterical! Cue the Beavis and Butthead snickers.
So many other ways to go. So many ways to make ciabatta sound like something you’d actually enjoy tasting. So many ways to, say, really communicate something.
Yeah, somebody be sure to come back with “well, you remembered the spot!” Yes, yes I did and I do. And won’t be spending a penny at Wendy’s as long as that spot is on. Not a penny, Jenny! Not any penny.
Oops, I think I just split a gut.