Whataburger Goes Technicolor With Its Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwich

The hills are alive with the sound of music… dedicated to fried fast food and topped with 970 calorie sauce from Whataburger.

To celebrate the return of the Buffalo Ranch Chicken Strip Sandwich, the Texas-based chain launched a “rhapsodic ode,” representing each ingredient of this fan-favorite dish through a wacky song. Hint: there’s yodeling.

The 30-second technicolor spot, from the McGarrah Jessee agency, aims to find “the right balance between the greatest respect for food and a joyful irreverence towards ourselves”, according to Cam Millercreative director.



A long-time object of consumer affection, the sandwich features three crispy chicken strips topped with Buffalo sauce, buttermilk ranch and two slices of Monterey Jack cheese on a toasted bun. He returns to the menu for a short stint, using a well-known tactic in the quick-service restaurant category to motivate shoppers.

With a nod to classic musical theater – with a dreamlike, surreal touch and a pastoral backdrop – the creators decided to create “an earworm, but not a jingle,” according to Skyler Dobinsaid the agency’s chief editor.

“Instead of town criers announcing the good news, we created a group of singers in a surreal world where the sandwich rises like the sun,” Dobin said. “Each part is sung almost like a call of nature: the base of the sandwich is our baritones, the sauces complement each other in a call and response, and oh yeah, there’s cheese, too.”

The San Antonio-based chain has expanded into 15 states, with annual sales of $3 billion at more than 1,000 locations, by brand.

The spot, directed by Guy of the Palm and produced by Imposter, will air across television, radio, digital and social media. As part of the campaign, the retailer is launching a limited-edition Buffalo Ranch Chicken Strip Sandwich throw pillow, available through its online store.

Whataburger offers a pillow version of its Buffalo Ranch chicken sandwich.