The Jack in the Box chain is running commercials that conflate the word “Angus” with a four letter body orifice that also begins with the letters “an” and ends with the letters “us,” described as follows:
… In “Chuckles,” a demure company executive can’t figure out why her colleagues in the boardroom, including chairman Jack, double-up with laughter at her presentation on the competition’s angus burgers. A reverse-angle shot reveals the word “angus” perfectly centered above her head, with the “g” partially blocked. After the room settles down, one exec asks, “Are you saying that people will find our sirloin burger more attractive than their…angus-es,” at which point the laughter erupts once more.
In “Angus Diagram,” Jack points to the sirloin on a butcher’s chart when an exec asks him to find the “angus area.” Jack, whose proboscis is pointed at the rear end of the cow, says, “I’d rather not.”
Sittig directed both spots. “They don’t go too far,” he said. “For example, we talked about but stopped short of doing a spot on [McDonald’s] Angus Pounder.”
You can watch “Angus Diagram” here and “Chuckles” here. Carl’s Jr. didn’t like these ads much and filed suit. Feminist Law Prof and fellow vegetarian Rebecca Tushnet has the details. And here is Stay Free Daily’s take on the episode:
The best thing about this for me is that Carl’s Jr. is being pwned – about the quality of its meat – by Jack in the Box, a fast food restaurant best known for literally poisoning its customers.
I think this campaign will make even staunch carnivores contemplate a nice grilled cheese with tomato.
–Ann Bartow
