Yesterday on our way back from Brandcation, Lynsey and I stopped at the Cheesecake Factory. You can read our very long and drawn out experience over on her blog here. I want to talk about another part of the experience.
Smack dab in the middle of my menu was this ad:
Jaw.
Drop.
While I can so appreciate making a better choice when I am out to eat, I was totally riled up after our 5 hour drive for some super sweet and majorly unhealthy 4000 calorie Oreo Cheesecake. However after seeing this picture my spirits totally tanked.
Obviously.
And even though we did walk out with a (free) piece of cheesecake (go read Lynseys post for more), it took me another day to be able to get over the ad enough to emotionally enjoy this cheesecake.
Advertising fail? What do you think?
~Trisha
The pairing is odd, I’ll say that.
Wow, I guess they don’t realize (or care) that guilt-tripping their customers is a great way to lose out on money. No telling how much money they have lost over their ad.
That really is a tacky ad to have in the middle of a menu at the Cheesecake Factory.
Total ad fail!
You can give TCF your feedback here:
http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/aboutUs/contactUs/contactUs
I think you ought to tell the Corporate office of The Cheesecake Factory about how that ad made you feel. I’m pretty sure that most companies would prefer that the ads they post right smack dab in the middle of their menus would be something that would make their clients feel good. An ad that slaps you upside your self esteem issues would not seem to be a good choice. And I sincerely doubt that they would want to promote ads that would keep their clientele from ordering a slice of cheese cake when cheese cake is their name!!! I think that this is a case of somebody not thinking through their decision to host that particular ad. They shouldn’t have to be told but they should also probably not host ads for jock itch sprays, balding heads, hemorrhoid remedies, exploding diarrhea cures, septic tanks, gastric bypass surgery, Weight Watchers, feminine hygiene products, Viagra and anything else that might gross people out or make them feel bad about themselves. They could advertise alcohol, cars, perfume, baby/kid stuff, hair salons/products, pedi/mani salons, jewelry, apps for phones, book stores, movies, craft supply stores, Pier 1/World Market type stores — a whole lot of other things that don’t make people feel bad & want to skip dessert. If your ad is going to have an emotional effect on a client you’d want it to be in a positive manner, right? Instead they have a former customer who 24 hours later still can’t bring herself to eat her fricking cheesecake???? Not the effect I’d want if cheese cake was my name!
The Cheesecake Factory is my favorite restaurant of all time. I pay no attention to the ads, although this one probably would catch my eye. If it were me, I’d just call the server over and ask for a piece of Linda’s Fudge Cake
It wouldn’t affect me one way or the other in terms of what I was ordering. Jumping off of the healthy train for one meal isn’t going to derail all 60lbs that I’ve lost, staying off of the train WILL. That said, I am shocked that Cheesecake was like, “OH GREAT AD! We’re going to put this right in the middle of our menu!”
The ad set out what it was intended to do: It got a response. It got you thinking, and while the message really SUCKS, you likely won’t forget this ad for a long time.
I think the idea of putting in a AD is nice BUT this AD for a food place where most of the calorie is WAYYYY high maybe me a fail for the Cheesecake factory besides the fact that I REALLY rather not see the torso of some skinny girl!
I think it’s smart .. not so much for the Cheesecake Factory but the business that advertised. Seeing that would totally make me skip ordering a slice of cheesecake.
But would it make you get lipo? LOL
Total fail for sure, but I can say it wouldn’t haven’t any affect on what I ordered since I hardly ever go out to eat and know when I do go that it’s a treat and order whatever I want without guilt.
I think that’s tacky and the restaurant is being rude and disrespectful to their customers. Would be different if it was a pamphlet they could pick up while waiting, but not IN the menu.
Yeah. Bad placement for sure! I know that ad would make me think twice about what I ordered.
Doesn’t make much sense as advertisement in Cheesecake Factory! Their slices of cheesecake are like 2000 calories each!
Wow that seems a tad weird that they would have that ad in there. I mean lets face it…we all know that cheesecake and probably most of the food on their menu, is super high in calories and fat. Why would you put something in there to make people think twice about buying your food?
Though…there is me who would probably think, “hmm…I can eat this massive cheesecake and then get all the fat melted out with a laser”! (yes I’m messed up like that).
I still havent eaten my cheesecake. I ate the leftovers for breakfast, and thought about the cheesecake, but havent touched it. I was appalled. I have to think it hurts their SUPER high calorie – albeit delicious – food choices. I dont like to be made to feel guilty about what I am ordering.