Wienerschnitzel Chili Dog : “THANKS”

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Wienerschnitzel is not a restaurant chain I am familiar with. In fact, I’ve never heard of them before. But I happened to be scrolling through this article today, and they definitely caught my attention.

You don’t want to click over there and see? Let me paint the picture for you….

First of all, this picture features the word ‘THANKS’ written in big red block letters.

Second of all, this picture is a printable coupon for a free chili dog at Wienerschnitzel.

Third of all, this picture includes a photographic image of a Wienerschnitzel “chili” dog.

Are you getting this picture? Is it coming through?

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Perhaps I should spell it out for you:

…From my point of view, that’s quite a picture. It seems rather peculiar. What exactly do they mean when they say ‘THANKS’? Are they being ironic? That chili dog certainly doesn’t look like something I could ever imagine thanking anybody for. And I sure can’t imagine it being someone else’s thank you to me. Because that would be the kind of thank you that includes the words, “I hope you die from e-coli real soon.”

Now, I happen to know from reality TV that there is a whole niche industry in the United States (and probably the rest of the world) which exists only to produce unrealistically appetizing photographs of food products for food companies. This work, for example, features prominently in the “TV dinner” trade. A lot of those Hungry-Man packages in the grocery store frozen foods aisle actually look pretty tasty. One presumes that the Wienerschnitzel company had something similar in mind when they hired a photographer to take photographs of their chili dogs…. And research on the Internet has shown me that Wienerschnitzel is not a company unable to afford such food photography services; in fact, they claim to be the “World’s Largest Hot Dog Chain”.

You have to imagine the scenario, don’t you? The graphic designer at work, ordered to design a simple coupon. It’s hard to accept that when that designer drafted this bit of work they honestly thought they were doing a good job. In fact, if you think about it that way, the coupon design seems sort of passive aggressive, doesn’t it?

Graphic Designer, finishing the coupon: Hmmmm hmmmm mmmmm, consider this my resignation letter…

Marketing Boss, upon receiving the finished coupon design: “Oh, yah? Looks good, looks good. Very savory. Nice job. Looks good. I like the big THANKS you put in there. Just move it to the left just a pixel or two, so it’s centered in there. That will be perfect.”

I wonder what went through this designer’s mind when their coupon got approved? Laughter, the best medicine? Maybe they decided to keep their job after all.

Anyway, this coupon certainly doesn’t make me want to eat at Wienerschnitzel. Ever. Even if it’s free food, it looks like the kind of free food that comes with a heavy cost. Of human dignity. And possibly life.

The simple truth is, most people don’t like to have shit as a garnish on their food, and eating it is not good for you.

This story gets even better, though.

I did a google image search on Wienerschnitzel chili dogs. Whooo boy! Please do take a look for yourself: click here.

So there you have it. Truth in advertising.