Wendy’s Ditching “Now That’s Better” Motto For Something “Deliciously Different”

Screen Shot 2016-02-05 at 10.53.12 AMWhile McDonald’s and Burger King have dominated the fast food slogan wars over the years with memorable phrases like “You deserve a break today,” and “Have it your way,” Wendy’s hasn’t really had a hit since the “Where’s the beef?” mania of the 1980s. But that hasn’t stopped the company from trying, as it ditches “Now that’s better” for the new “Deliciously different.”

AdAge reports that the new branding, which is expected to start making the rounds today, coincides with the company’s revamped burgers.

The new burgers, dubbed Dave’s Single (Double, or Triple), is meant to be a throwback to the chain’s original recipe — complete with a new bun and foil wrapping — that customers found unique from other fast food restaurants.

Kurt Kane, chief concept and marketing officer for Wendy’s, tells AdAge that the new phrase simply fits the chain that has always thought of itself as different from competitors, what with its square beef patties.

He said that while the “Now that’s better” phrasing had worked well for the company over the years, it “decide on ‘Deliciously different’ because customers consistently tell us what we do at Wendy’s is unique and different from what they get elsewhere…we have a powerful brand story to talk about in terms of how we do things differently… and we wanted to be overt about it.”

Customers might notice one glaring omission from the company’s new ads: You won’t be seeing “Red,” the perky Wendy’s shill who has been popping up in ads since 2012, constantly pushing the chain’s sandwiches on her friends at work, home, and in public.

Kane tells AdAge that the Red won’t appear in the new burger campaign, but that the company hasn’t “made any permanent decisions” on her future.

“She’s very identifiable, so we’re still evaluating her future,” Kane tells AdAge.

Wendy’s Changes Tagline, Leaves Red’s Future Up in the Air [AdAge]

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