How Wendy's Iconic 'Where's The Beef?' Ad Was Born

It's been over 40 years now since Wendy's made the iconic "Where's the beef?" slogan famous. It's one of those phrases that stands the test of time, and just uttering those three words will immediately make one think of Wendy's and crave a juicy hamburger. While the original "Where's the beef?" ad itself is beyond memorable, the story behind how it came to be is even more interesting. It proves Wendy's has always been ready to spar when it came to competition with McDonald's and Burger King. It's not something that just happened when the burger chain started getting sassy on social media.

The "Where's the beef?" slogan was made famous by Clara Peller, whose personality was a lot bigger than her 4-foot-10-inch stature. She worked as a manicurist for decades before being cast in a local commercial. In the famous ad, Peller and two other old women sat around a burger that featured a huge, fluffy bun and a very small burger patty. As one of the other ladies removed the enormous top bun, it was Peller who asked, exasperated, "Where's the beef?"

That wasn't the first time the phrase was used, however. Wendy's tried it with a man first, but it didn't catch on. Good thing they tried again, because this time it not only caught on, but it increased the chain's sales by 31%, as reported on Wendy's website. It also triggered a successful line of merchandise, as "Where's the beef?" was printed on T-shirts, buttons, bumper stickers, a single with DJ Coyote McCloud, and more.

Wendy's may have everyone asking, "Where's the beef?" But with the addition of the Baconator to the menu, they'll never ask, "Where's the bacon?" This bacon-heavy burger launched in 2007 and was such a sales success that it pulled Wendy's out of a significant sales slump. Bacon was all the rage back then, so when the fast food powerhouse introduced the double patty burger with six strips of bacon and two slices of cheese, this sandwich helped revive Wendy's brand.

The burger chain boasted 68 million Baconators sold in the first year and continues to sell millions more every year as it's become a staple menu item. That's not even the burger joint's best beef offering, based on our ranking of worst-to-best Wendy's burgers, but it appeals to those who love bacon and don't want to see a single vegetable on their beef patties. Of course, Wendy's purists can skip the Baconator and celebrate five items from the original 1969 menu that are still available today. Just don't be surprised when you get ready to bite into the burger and realize that it's not strictly square-shaped anymore.