Fast Food Restaurants Are Trying To Tell You to Eat More, and Hey, Why Not? I'm Getting Hungry Just Looking At That Sign (Part I - Burgers)

I'm not gonna claim to be an advertising master--although I do have a masters in advertising--but you can trust me when I say that companies are sending many more messages in your direction than you think they are. In fact, a lot of these messages are likely bypassing your conscious mind but still hitting something near the back of your skull (could be the front of your skull, since I'm not sure where the subconscious part is). Let's take a look at some fast food logos today.

You are going to notice a trend very early on. There are a few colors--one in particular--that has been shown to excite humans, which can stimulate the appetite. Obviously, fast food restaurants are in the loop on this one.

I've broken the restaurants into five categories: burgers, mexican/burritos, sandwiches, chicken, and other. I have decided to leave pizza out for now. I'll be tackling burgers today and I'll go down the list over the next week or so.

BURGERS

McDonald's

The classic double arches. Red background (get used to it) with yellow and white print. This is one of the most recognizable logos in the world, and it's likely that it will never change. I must say that I love continuity in logos and colors, and McDonald's has never really changed. It's so iconic that they don't need to. Good for them.

Burger King

BK went with the Pepsi approach on this one: when the top dog in your industry uses red (as Coke did), use blue to stand out BUT keep the red in there as well just to be safe. When this logo replaced the older 80's-ish one (which was more two-dimensional and brown), my first thought was: "That looks like the logo of a futuristic Burger King." So I guess in terms of updating their look, they did a pretty good job. Even though this is not unique, I like that the logo is in the shape of a burger, you know, just in case a hungry illiterate driver is trying to figure out what they serve.

Carl's Jr./Hardees

In case you are wondering, Hardee's is the East-of-the-Mississippi counterpart of Carl's Jr. Apparently, people on the East Coast like to tilt their heads or something, because the Hardee's logo is just a little off kilter. Again, they went with the red and yellow here, no surprise. This logo is too boring though, right? I'm being sarcastic by the way; simplicity can be a VERY good thing in logo design, especially if it's well-defined or well-known . Wait...what's this? CKE Restaurants disagrees with me?Apparently so. This new script lettering, which I must admit gives the logo a classic feel, is the standard CJ's logo now. Oh, and congratulations to the star, who has been promoted to TiltMaster General like his friend from the east.

Wendy's

"Old-fashioned hamburgers", huh...didn't know they had square patties back in the 19th century. Another burger chain, another red and yellow logo. This one is different because it actually features a red-headed girl (whose hair color is stimulating my appetite as we speak/read) and it is kind of an old school man-cowboy-saloon font. If Billy the Kid wanted lunch and was in a food court, he would probably go to Wendy's. I could do the research on how long this particular design has been around...maybe I'll do that in another post. RIP Dave Thomas. Thank you for your value menu.

Jack in the Box

WOW! No yellow! Congratulations to Jack in the Box on having a slightly different color scheme than the rest of the fast food crowd. Too bad they still went with red. I'm not sure how much the Jack logo is worth now compared to the "Jack" character himself. I almost feel that I see his face on a huge window sign before I see the logo. They could effectively replace all their 20-foot-high logo boards with a lifesize Jack doll, and I'm sure that business wouldn't drop off.

Arby's

I know what you are thinking: Arby's is not a burger chain. Well, it's ground beef in your stomach anyway. This logo DOES make me think of cowboys, both because of the hat and the font type. If that's what they were going for, it worked. They need to work on making their food taste better though. My friend Jackie's dad has a cute story about Arby's. I hope to share it with you some day.

Oh, and one point for color creativity--the red is a little darker than in all the other logos.

Sonic

You've got to be kidding me. Red and yellow. Whoop-de-doo. Sonic, you are AMERICA'S Drive-In, not Spain's. Yo quisiera un slushee de fresas. On the plus side, I'm pretty sure that design is meant to mimic the wings of cars from the 5o's, which is a nice touch for a drive-in.

Fatburger

Whenever I see a Fatburger logo, I think of "Good Burger" with Kenan and Kel. I saw that movie with Ron and Jerry Yassa, and needless to say, it was horrible. As for the logo, this is kinda the type that could be used for anything. Think about it: if they replaced "FATBURGER" with "RAMADA INN", you have a pretty servicable logo. That said, could we lay off the red and yellow please? Just for a while?

In-n-Out

Oh In-n-Out...how I love thee. But you had to go with the Red and Yellow. I guess I should just come to the realization that those are effective colors for letting hungry people know that you are a fast food restaurant, and piggy-backing on McDonald's is not a bad strategy. I like that the In-n-Out logo usually points to the restaurant itself--a trait that is not extremely handy on street-front signs, but is pretty awesome on super high billboards in areas where you might not notice the In-n-Out restaurant by itself while driving by.

Whataburger

Whataburger! I love you for your breakfast taquitos, and now I love you for the fact that you do not use red or yellow in your logo. However, if I remember my primary and secondary colors correctly from kindergarten: Red+Yellow=Orange. Great. No but seriously, it's okay here. Maybe it's because I grew up in California and only lived in Texas for a year and a half, but Whataburger signs always stood out to me on the road. That logo is kind of its own thing, which is neat. The winged-W is like inverted double golden arches in the sense that they probably drop the "Whataburger" on a lot of the signage and it still works.

Wienerschnitzel

Right, right: not a burger chain. Sorry, but if it's D-grade meat between two buns, it's in the burger category here. Now normally I would say something like "another fast food joint using Red And Yellow? That's ridiculous!" But Wienerschnitzel shows commitment here and actually paints their employees' houses the same colors:

Pretty incredible.

Krystal

Pretty bland. Krystal just doesn't sound like a place that would make delicious sliders. My brother and his fiance actually thought I was making up a restaurant when I used Krystal during a game of Scattergories. I don't live in the South, and when I saw Krystal signs in Tennessee, I had no clue that they served food. Red And Yellow, though--guess I should have known.

White Castle

White Castle is the only restaurant in this list that I have never eaten at. They did not use red or a color close to it, and I have to say that I am getting pretty hungry just looking at the logo. The 3-D castle and the writing in the middle actually look like a small little burger. Maybe that's the way to go--just make your logo subtly look like a burger.

So in summary:

9 out of 13 places use red and yellow in their logo.

11 out of 13 use red in their logo.

12 out of 13 use mainly warm colors (yellow, red, orange).

FAVORITE (regardless of "Iconicity" or color): Whataburger - It's not going to be confused for any other burger place, and they do have the word "burger" in the logo, in case you are driving across the country through Texas/Oklahoma and have never heard of the place.

LEAST FAVORITE: Krystal - Might as well be a gas station for all I know.

So...the color red. Maybe it's because it catches our attention. Maybe it is because red stimulates our appetites. Or maybe every restaurant decided to go what was already working for the big dogs. That's okay. But my feeling is that if your food is really good, it doesn't matter too much what your logo looks like, as long as it's identifiable by your customers.

Of course, if you are Arby's, I think you definitely need the cowboy hat in there.

Best Website Ever...Containing Cavemen

I love the Geico Caveman commercials so much, not only because of the caveman's reactions to everything, but they are like the one minority (besides aliens) that will never complain about stereotyping on CNN and then ask everyone to boycott the ads.

Because they DON'T EXIST, get it?

Anyway, please check out cavemanscrib.com. Great interactive website, and I love the cross-marketing with the music, too...the viral marketing potential is pretty high.

Live Blogging the Super Bowl

I've decided to live-blog the Super Bowl, as I'm watching the game here at home and I don't think my dad will appreciate my inane comments and questions too much. I'll be talking about the game, the announcing, the commercials, and of course, CBS's predictable use of hip hop songs during montages about Peyton Manning and Rex Grossman. If you are viewing this blog during the game, please hit your refresh button every few minutes. Enjoy! (all times Pacific)
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8:58 pm Pacific - Well, I gotta say that the game delivered more on its hype than the commercials did. Even though the game was sloppy, what with all the turnovers and everything, it kept my attention from start to finish. I'm glad Tony Dungy mentioned his Christian faith in his post-game speech--that type of openness about Christianity on national television (in this case, the most watched event around the world) is welcome anytime to me.

As for the advertising, I would give the best overall Superbowl campaign to CareerBuilder for their "Don't just survive the workweek" spots. That first animated spot for Coke was probably my favorite single commercial. As for the other advertising, I am disappointed that there was not more creative in-game stuff. Actually, off the top of my head, I can't think of a single non-commercial that was creative enough to turn any heads. Maybe it's because CBS is a little more traditional. FOX would have changed the shape of the football during all instant replays to look more like a Coke bottle. Couldn't you just hear Joe Buck saying: "This Super Slo-Mo FoxTrax Instant Replay brought to you by Coke. Coke: Everything Tastes Better With a Coke."

Tim McCarver: "The point of football is to score more points that the other team."

Peace out from my first live-blog.

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7:00 - Who will be the first Colts player to say: "No one believed in us!"? My guess is Bob Sanders.

6:58 - Congratulations to the Colts, 29-17! I was one Bears TD and one Colts negative safety from getting the score exactly right.

6:56 - Well, this game is pretty much over. Let the Tony Dungy praise commence. If someone poured Gatorade on me, I would drink it.

6:49 - It's stopped raining, and we're approaching the 2-minute warning here and the Colts have a 12-point lead. If the Bears can keep them from running right into the endzone, then they still have a chance. Oh, and Devin Hester has to run it back because their offense has been inept.

6:37 - Our TV just exploded. Figuratively of course. I think we missed a sweet Delay of Game call.

6:30 - Is Rex Grossman trying to make it rain with these super high passes? Because IT'S ALREADY RAINING REX.

6:28 - Phil Simms said that the Colts wanted to put the Bears in a situation that they are not good at, which is coming from behind. Really? It's a good strategy to be winning? Fair assessment, I guess.

6:21 - I really hoped Rex Grossman would play well today so everyone would get off his back, but that was a crappy pass. It was like a Hail Mary to the flats. Colts TD, 28-17, but there's a challenge.

It's close, but the review evidence isn't overwhelming. And my predicition goes out the window. Booger McFarland is happy.

6:11 - Commercial Break: Katie Couric, Pro Bowl, The Masters...three in a row for CBS shows. Probably all in 30 seconds, so I guess that's okay.

6:04 - I think if I was allowed to be an NFL player for a day, I'd be a nose tackle. Offensive playmakers (quarterback, wide receiver, running back) get hit too much--I'd get snapped in half. I could never cut it on the O-Line. I'm not fast enough to play cornerback or linebacker. Nose tackle would be just right, because if I got one sack, or just one tackle, I'd be pretty satisfied.

6:03 - I'm pretty sure Barbaro is rooting for the Colts. Chicago hits a FG, 22-17 Colts. Go Barbaros.

6:01 - I have a good feeling the Bears will do something good with this short field. Could be a tie game going into the 4th quarter.

6:00 - Still waiting for the first John Cougar Mellancamp commercial. This IS our country, by the way.

5:56 - Robert Goulet.

AND AN OLD T-MOBILE COMMERCIAL. COME ON PEOPLE. I'm tuning out when I see these things.

5:52 - Phil Simms just intimated that Dominique Rhodes is a great sixth man. I'm pretty sure Simms played quarterback for the Giants, and I'm almost certain they played with eleven.

5:47 - Rex Grossman looks ridiculous, flopping around, dropping the ball. This Taco Bell thing with the lions saying "Carne Asada" is annoying.

Hey Van Heusen! A clothes ad for a brand I actually wear.

5:46 - Booger just tackled Rex.

5:44 - I wonder if guys change their cleats at halftime so they can have longer spikes.

5:35 - I know this is old news, but how in the world did we ever watch football before Sportvision created that yellow first-down line? I still don't understand the technology behind it. I don't get how it stays in the same place when the camera moves, and how it can appear on top of the grass but behind a green Jets jersey. Someone please explain this to me.

5:21 - There have been A LOT of promos for CBS shows...I would guess about 20 during the first half. I wonder if CBS wanted to reserve all those spots, or if they really couldn't get their asking price for say, 5 more spots. The network has a ton of power in a situation like this; they can embed show promos into the game itself (which they have done a little of, but maybe not enough). A important factor in paying for the rights to an event like this is the ability to promote your own shows, but I wonder if it can be done better in CBS's case.

I wonder how many people will start watching Two and a Half Men because of the commercials. I won't.

5:10 - This is as good a time as any to fold my laundry.

5:05 - Halftime show. I never cared much for Prince, but there is a pretty ridiculous In Living Color skit with Jamie Foxx playing Prince, selling jeans. Find it on YouTube.

From the neck up, with that front-tying headscarf on, Prince looks like he shoud be cleaning someone's house right now. He just looks like he's ready to scrub tile or something.

4:53 - Who's running KPIX exactly? Our reception cut out during the Frito-Lay Black History Month commercial for the first time today. Conspiracy.

4:51 - I'm pretty sure the American Heart Association was telling me to eat another sausage sandwich. I'm very full.

4:42 - I know this is not the point of High Definition (yes, it needs to be capitalized), but inclement weather looks so much cooler in HD. I'm actually kina hoping this rain will turn into snow.

4:38 - Weird replay graphics, but I like them . I never understood why networks don't try out new graphics in earlier playoff games, but I guess most networks want people to go: "oh, I've never seen that before." Of course, using that logic, you could insert a digital Koala Bear onto Joseph Addai's head at the start of every play.

4:36 Non-HD commercial, American Heart Association? That commercial was so unclear on my TV screen that I'm not sure if I'm supposed to exercise more or eat a tub of Crisco.

4:34 - Touchdown, Colts, good extra point, 16-14. Really good game so far.

4:30 - In all seriousness, the "user-created" commercials for Doritos and Chevy disgusted me. Seriously. "Cleanup at the register"? Gross. Stop it.

4:28 - I feel like there have already been 10 punts in this game.

4:26 - Over/Under on people Tank Johnson will shoot if the Bears lose: 1.

4:25 - I now want to drink Bud Light because a white dog got mud splashed on it and now looks like a dalmatian.

4:17 - That animated Coke commercial was pretty awesome. It certainly got my attention without having to resort to showing cleavage (c'mon Go Daddy, you said your commercial was going to be different this year).

4:13 - One year in Davis, Brian and I brought our desktop computers into the living room so we could work while we wached the Super Bowl. I don't even remember who was playing.

4:11 - I'm pretty sure Cedric Benson was lying on the ground because he wanted a rest. He looks sleepy.

4:08 - This game has more turnovers than a pie shop! HiyOOOO! Take that Woody Paige.

3:59 - YES. A commercial with immigrants trying to speak English. That'll get me every time. Bood Light.

3:56 - I've already seen that commercial, Schick! I'm not watching this game to see things I've already seen. Garbage.

3:53 - Is there a better name in football right now than Booger McFarland? Maybe Poopie McGee on the Seahawks...

3:51 - Two fumbles in 15 seconds. It's sloppy in Miami! Shoulda held the game in Buttonwillow.

3:50 - Yes, you did just hear "The Final Countdown" by Europe. Funny FedEx commercial. Except for the fact that there would be gravity on the Moon.

3:47 - Touchdown, Colts! I missed it--Dad asked me to check if the cat had food. I did see that botched X-point though.

3:45 - Dad's prediction:

"31, Colts."
"And the Bears?"
"Less than 31."

3:43 - Never gave my pick: Colts 27, Bears 24. Or 25.

3:40 - By the way, I'm hoping there will be at least one commercial this year that actually says something awesome about the product, hence justifying the 2.6 million dollars spent. I mean, it's cool to go for the whole irreverent thing, but it doesn't make me want to drink Sierra Mist.

3:39 - Wow. Beard Combover. Fantastic.

3:34 - First Bud Light commercial features physical humor. Got a chuckle out of Dad.

3:30 - Sweet team intros. I like that we get to hear each players' voice.

3:27 - In a roundabout way, Phil Simms agrees with me. On a completely contradictory note, there goes Devin Hester. Touchdown. No one has ever returned the opening kick for 6 in the Super Bowl.

3:24 - The Bears fans seem really excited about winning the coin toss, which is actually not an advantage at all. It's like being happy that your team is first alphabetically.

3:19 - It's unfortunate that miltary flyovers are not that impressive on TV, because they are so exhilarating when you are in the stadium. I've seen a couple live, and they can take your breath away. I think it's because of the timing and spacing precision involved.

3:17 - Dude it's raining all over Billy Joel's piano.

3:14 pm - First commercial break after team introdcutions, and all the commercials are in HD. Very nice. One of them is for that Ghost Rider movie. Not so nice.