Whataburger's All About Boneless Wings and Weird Utensils

“I am here to contest the new WhataWings from Whataburger. Real wings have bones! And these boneless ‘wings’ are actually premium chicken tender bites tossed in one of Whataburger’s famous sauces!”

Testimony grows shrill and silly as the fast-feeder introduces its latest menu offering:

So, these wings are boneless? Do we have that right? Not since last year’s Colonel Sanders salvo from KFC Canada has such bearded buffoonery rocked the convenience-dining category.

“We embraced the absurdity of the debate with gusto and a healthy dose of self-awareness, acknowledging that boneless wings aren’t technically wings,” says Tim Roan, CCO at McGarrah Jessee, which developed the campaign. 

Beyond hyping the product—available for a limited time—the work also provides “a playful introduction of Whataburger to a wider audience,” he says, “showcasing the brand’s personality as they spread their wings (see what I did there?) across the country.” 

Yep, see it. Wish we hadn’t. And they call the ad’s angry main character a “Wing Nut.” This stuff never ends.

Laura Murphy directed through Gravy Films and The Voorhes.

“We had a lot of fun with sound and audio in this campaign,” recalls agency creative director Cam Miller. “The jingle at the end of the spots are just silly and memorable—one might call them ‘earwormy.’ And with ‘Just Like You WhataWing,’ we were able to put a new spin on Whataburger’s iconic tagline ‘Just Like You Like It.'”

In addition to TV spots, there’s a “Boneless Bone Utensil” (wet-wipe included) and “Saucy Sweatsuit” apparel: