Wendy's red-wig ads a hit with young customers

By Nichola Groom

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A red-wigged man screaming about juicy hamburgers to dozens of people kicking trees in a forest has become an unlikely advertising success for Wendy's International Inc (WEN.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), which spent five years searching for a TV campaign that would once again make its hamburger brand cool.

The chain's ads have not taken off with customers since the death of founder and pitchman Dave Thomas in 2002.

In the new ad, tree-kicking people are interrupted by the man wearing a red pigtailed wig -- recalling the hairdo of the young girl in Wendy's logo. The nonconformist cries out for a "hot juicy burger" instead of one made from frozen beef, rousing the crowd from its stupor.

The downright weirdness of the ad has made it a hit among the very consumers the chain felt it needed to win over -- young people. It has been viewed nearly 800,000 times on video sharing site YouTube.com and also has inspired amateur copycat videos, now spreading across the Internet, Wendy's Chief Marketing Officer Ian Rowden said in an interview.

Sales of Wendy's hamburgers which the company promotes as being made from fresh beef unlike some competitors have increased since the ad began running about two months ago, Rowden said, but he declined to say by how much.

"For the first time since Dave Thomas passed away the brand is finding a voice that is not only consistent, but is completely current and relevant," Rowden said.

A RED WIG FOR EVERY AD

The company has rejigged its ad lineup to include a different red-wigged character in every commercial.