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{{Short description|1984 American advertising slogan}}
[[Image:Wheres the beef commercial.jpg|thumb|right|The picture sleeve of a "Where's the beef?" [[single (music)|single]], recorded by [[Coyote McCloud]] and [[Clara Peller]], based on her advertisement catchphrase]]▼
{{Use American English|date=March 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}}
▲[[
"'''Where's the beef?'''" is a [[catchphrase]] in the United States and Canada, introduced as a slogan for the fast food chain [[Wendy's]] in 1984. Since then it has become an all-purpose phrase questioning the substance of an idea, event, or product.<ref name="Keyes">{{cite book|last=Keyes|first=Ralph|author-link=Ralph Keyes (author)|year=2009|title=I Love It When You Talk Retro: Hoochie Coochie, Double Whammy, Drop a Dime, and the Forgotten Origins of American Speech|url=https://www.google.com/search?q=%22I+love+it+when+you+talk+retro%22&btnG=Search+Books|publisher=Macmillan|pages=7, 161|isbn=978-0-312-34005-6|access-date=November 8, 2010}}</ref>
==History==
[[File:Where's the Beef 2020.jpg|thumb|2020 Where's the Beef ad]]
The phrase first came to the public
The commercial was originally supposed to star a young couple, but Sedelmaier did not find the concept funny and changed it to the elderly
An earlier version, featuring a middle-aged bald man saying, "Thanks, but where's the beef?", failed to make much impact. After the Peller version, the catchphrase was repeated in television shows, films, magazines, and other media outlets.
First airing in 1984, the original commercial featured three elderly
Sequels featured Peller yelling at a Fluffy Bun executive from his yacht over the phone and approaching fast food drive-up windows (including the "Home of the Big Bun" and a restaurant with a [[Golden Arches|golden arch]]) that were slammed down before she could complete the line.
Later in 1984, [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] songwriter and DJ [[Coyote McCloud]] wrote and performed a hit song entitled "Where's the Beef?" as a promotion for Wendy's restaurants' famous advertising campaign featuring Clara Peller.<ref>{{cite
The advertising campaign ended in 1985 after Peller performed in a commercial for [[Prego]] [[pasta]] sauce, saying "I found it, I really found it",<ref>
▲Later in 1984, [[Nashville]] songwriter and DJ [[Coyote McCloud]] wrote and performed a hit song entitled "Where's the Beef?" as a promotion for Wendy's restaurants' famous advertising campaign featuring Clara Peller.<ref name="Beef song">Bob Batchelor and Scott Stoddart, ''The 1980s: American popular culture through history'' (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007) {{ISBN|978-0-313-33000-1}} p. 48. Found at [https://books.google.com/books?id=uIqyMMogRsMC&pg=PA48&dq=%22Coyote+McCloud%22&hl=en&ei=5XHYTJLmFISclgfenqT-CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDsQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=%22Coyote%20McCloud%22&f=false Google Books]. Accessed November 8, 2010.</ref>
There were many "Where's the beef?" promotional items, including [[bumper
▲The advertising campaign ended in 1985 after Peller performed in a commercial for [[Prego]] [[pasta]] sauce, saying "I found it, I really found it",<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE0D61E39F931A2575BC0A961948260 What happened to Clara Peller] nytimes.com</ref> a phrase alluding to the beef in the listener's mind.
In 2011, Wendy's revived the phrase for its new ad campaign, finally answering its own question with "Here's the beef".<ref>
▲There were many "Where's the beef?" promotional items, including bumper stickers, frisbees, clothing patches, a [[Milton Bradley Company|Milton Bradley]] game,<ref>''Toys and Prices''; Mark Bellomo; F+W Media, Inc.; 2015; p. 354</ref> and more.
During the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
▲In 2011, Wendy's revived the phrase for its new ad campaign, finally answering its own question with "Here's the beef".<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/26/business/media/after-27-years-an-answer-to-the-question-wheres-the-beef.html?_r=1 After 27 Years, an Answer to the Question, ‘Where’s the Beef?’] ''[[The New York Times]]'', September 25, 2011</ref>
To launch their new breakfast menu in Canada, Wendy's released a new advertisement campaign called "Where's the Bacon?" as a callback to the "Where's the Beef?". The new campaign is similar to its older counterpart, except it focuses on the amount of bacon in breakfast [[sandwich]]es rather than beef size.<ref>{{cite tweet|author=Wendy's|author-link=Wendy's|user=WendysCanada|date=2022-05-09|number=1523633891671633921|title=Unlike others who shall remain ✨nameless✨, we never microwave our 🥓|url= https://twitter.com/wendyscanada/status/|website=Twitter.com|access-date=2022-05-12}}</ref>
▲During the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|2020 COVID-19 pandemic]], when stores were experiencing a shortage of beef, Wendy's revived the ad.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wendy’s burgers missing from ads as the ‘Where’s the Beef?’ chain finds fresh beef in short supply|url=https://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/wendys-burgers-missing-ads-wheres-beef-chain-finds-fresh-beef-short-supply/2255476|date=2020-05-07|website=adage.com|language=en|access-date=2020-05-10}}</ref>
For the [[2023 Daytona 500]], [[Legacy Motor Club]] driver [[Noah Gragson]], sponsored by Wendy's, uses the No. 42 [[Chevrolet Camaro (sixth generation)|Chevrolet Camaro]] carrying "The Beef" on the hood, and a video released by the team featured Gragson using the phrase in the promotional video.<ref>{{cite tweet|author=Legacy Motor Club|author-link=Legacy Motor Club|user=LEGACYMotorClub|date=2023-02-16|number=1626347576302743555|title=Where's the beef? @Wendys|access-date=2023-02-17}}</ref>
==Credits==
William Welter, the executive vice president of Wendy's International, led the marketing team at the time of the campaign.<ref>
==Use in politics==
===1984 Democratic presidential primaries===
The phrase became associated with the [[1984 United States
Hart had moved his candidacy from [[dark horse]] to the lead over Mondale based on allegedly superficial similarities to [[John F. Kennedy]], and his repeated use of the phrase "new ideas". When Hart once again used the slogan in the debate, Mondale leaned forward and said, "When I hear your new ideas, I'm reminded of that ad, 'Where's the beef?{{'"}} Subsequently, the two campaigns continually clashed using the two dueling slogans, Hart frequently showing reams of policy papers and retorting "Here's the beef."
== See also ==
{{Portal|1980s}}▼
* [[Nothingburger]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
▲{{Portal|1980s}}
{{United States presidential debates}}
{{Wendy's}}
[[Category:1980s fads and trends]]
[[Category:1984 quotations]]
[[Category:Advertising campaigns]]
[[Category:American advertising slogans]]
[[Category:American political catchphrases]]
[[Category:American television commercials]]
[[Category:Democratic Party presidential debates]]
[[Category:Food industry advertising slogans]]
[[Category:Snowclones]]
[[Category:Wendy's International]]
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