DUBLIN Ohio Wendy’s International Inc. has come under fire for a TV spot that shows office workers inhaling helium for lunch.
The National Inhalant Prevention Council, which tries to discourage people from using inhalants to get high, said the spot sends the wrong message to children and gives them “inappropriate ideas” about inhalants, the Associated Press reported.
The spot, created by Saatchi & Saatchi of New York, shows the employees sucking helium and then floating to the ceiling of the office lunchroom. But an employee wearing the red wig featured in recent Wendy’s ads says, “Filling up with just anything, that’s wrong. We deserve a hot, juicy Junior Bacon Cheeseburger from Wendy’s.”
The theme of the ad is consistent with others in the red-wig campaign, which seeks to differentiate Wendy’s from competitors by focusing on its use of fresh rather than frozen beef for its burgers.
Wendy’s spokesman Bob Bertini told the AP that the chain has no plans to pull the spot and that only a handful of people have called to complain about it.
Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. recently agreed to remove a sexy teacher from a TV spot for the flat-bun Patty Melt Burger after the Tennessee Education Association protested that the ad was demeaning to teachers.