Wendy's hired a manicurist for a hamburger ad — she became a cultural phenomenon

In 1984, Wendy's ad agency Dancer Fitzgerald Sample hired director Joe Sedelmaier to create a campaign promoting Wendy's larger beef patties. Sedelmaier changed the original concept — which called for a young couple — and decided to cast elderly women instead. The agency rented a manicurist named Clara Peller, an 80-year-old Russian-born Chicagoan, for a temporary role in a barbershop commercial. Impressed by her no-nonsense manner and raspy voice, they signed her as the lead for the Wendy's campaign.

The commercial showed Peller and two other elderly women at a fictional competitor called 'Big Bun,' examining an enormous bun with a tiny hamburger patty. Peller's line 'Where's the beef?' was originally written as 'Where is all the beef?' but Peller could not say the longer version due to her health. The shortened version became the campaign's signature. The director's choice to use elderly women instead of the original young couple, combined with Peller's unique delivery, created something the agency had not planned for.

The campaign was an immediate phenomenon. 'Where's the beef?' became a nationwide catchphrase, appearing in TV shows, films, and even the 1984 Democratic presidential primaries — candidate Walter Mondale used the line against rival Gary Hart's 'new ideas.' Wendy's sales jumped 31% to $945 million worldwide in 1985. A senior vice president said, 'With Clara we accomplished as much in five weeks as we did in 14 and a half years.'

The campaign ended in 1985 after Peller appeared in a Prego spaghetti sauce commercial saying 'I found it.' Wendy's felt the ad implied she found the beef elsewhere and terminated her contract. The company then entered a two-year sales slump. But the campaign remains one of the most famous in advertising history — a 30-second commercial featuring a non-actor that defined an era.