In The Mid-'80s, Burger King's Worst-Ever Ad Campaign Sent Customers Looking For Herb - Tasting Table

"Would you go to Burger King for a chance to win a million dollars? In the 1980s, Burger King was banking on the idea that you would, and so would a lot of other people. The chain decided it needed a new gimmick to compete with both McDonald's and Wendy's, which were riding high on their own popular ad campaigns at the time. Burger King came up with the idea of Herb. If you found him, you had a chance to win big bucks."

"Burger King started running print ads before airing commercials. These ads were ominous and just said things like "What are you waiting for, Herb?" Devoid of context, these ads made no sense and did very little to drum up business (although actual guys named Herb probably didn't love it). But Burger King was trying to build a narrative here, and, in some ways, this was an early attempt at viral marketing, something better left to Taco Bell these days."

"Eventually, TV spots showed Herb's parents and friends, focused on the idea that Herb had never eaten at Burger King before. The campaign officially kicked off with the notion that Herb would visit various Burger King chains across the country. If you found him at one, you would win $5,000, with everyone in the restaurant getting the chance to win a million dollars if they played into the craze."

"Burger King spent $40 million on this campaign. Adjusted for inflation, that's $118 million today. The fast food chain would have to sell a heck of a lot of Whoppers to make that worthwhile. After six weeks of teasing, Herb's Super Bowl XX reveal fell completely flat. He turned out to be an average-looking guy played by Jon Menick with slicked-back hair and big glasses."

Burger King launched the Herb campaign in the 1980s to compete with McDonald's and Wendy's, promising cash prizes and discounted Whoppers. Initial print ads teased the campaign with cryptic lines like 'What are you waiting for, Herb?' and lacked context, producing confusion rather than interest. Television spots portrayed Herb as someone who had never eaten at Burger King and suggested that patrons could win $5,000 for finding him and a chance at a million-dollar prize. The campaign cost $40 million and culminated in a disappointing Super Bowl reveal of an ordinary actor as Herb, causing the promotion to fall flat and fail commercially.

Read at Tasting Table