Wendy's "Cold Storage" (2017) :30 (USA)

Wendy's has entered the Super Bowl for the first time with this commercial that asks you never to settle for frozen beef. We take a long trip into fictionalized competitor brand "Othr Guyz" and their long post-industrial cold storage facility. Cut the opening strains of Foreigner's "Cold as Ice" and you can see the joke coming from a football field length away. We come upon a geeky guy with a pink hairdryer waiting for the exact moment Lou Gramm starts to sing before turning on the heat. Production value aside, from the concept, to the casting, to the Othr Guyz parody website, it feels incredibly pedestrian and dated. They might as well have used Feels like the first time, another Foreigner hit for a follow up. Perhaps it's a bit unfair because unlike what passes for a lot of advertising these days, this spot actually has a concept and strategy involved. People think Wendy's serves frozen beef. It doesn't. So let's get them to understand that.

All well and good for an average day but when it's your very first spot ever in the Super Bowl?

Agency: VML
Debbi Vandeven: Global Chief Creative Officer
John Godsey: Chief Creative Offcier, North America
Chris Corley: Executive Creative Director
Jordan Grey: Creative Director
Spencer Bergstrand: Senior Copywriter
Conor Clarke: Senior Art Director
Alf Zapatoa: Senior Copywriter
Monika Hoang: Senior Art Director
Ant Tull: Associate Copywriter
Gary Granger: Senior Producer
Jen McDonald: Executive Director, Client Engagement
Bret Smith: Group Planning Director
Jason Bass: Group Director, Client Engagement
Kelly Gartenmayer: Director, Client Engagement
Hillary Carter: Supervisor, Client Engagement
Matt Smith: Supervisor, Client Engagement
Rachel Tonneson: Account Manager, Client Engagement
Jayne Andrews: Associate Account Manager, Client Engagement
Emily Cray: Supervisor, Analytics and Insights
Patty Jones: Campaign Program Manager
Jess Elwood: Senior Art Director/Technologist
Christina Miller: Channel Supervisor
Jessica Wiggins: Channel Manager
Matt Keck: Senior Copywriter/Community manager
Jeremy Cato: Sr. Manager, Solutions Delivery
Penny Galazkiewicz: Production Business Manager
Gina Kramer: Talent manager
Nora Ortiz: Talent Manager
Liz Bobak: Associate Talent Manager
Production: UNHEARD/OF
Dan Brown: Director
Casey Steele: Head of Production
Matt Ackerman: Executive producer
Alan Nay: Managing Director/Partner
Edit/VFX
Jon Bazata: Director of Editorial
Eric Bacus: Director of Visual Effects

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