Joe Sedelmaier, died last week, and if you don’t know who that is then you deserve to spend the rest of your life doing AI generated shitty commercials for Beauty Bum Hemorrhoid Cream. Joe was the guy that directed numerous tongue in cheek, humorous TV spots, for such clients as Federal Express, Godfather’s Pizza, and Wendy’s, including the 1984 classic “Where’s the beef?” Starring grumpy old ladies complaining about the size of the meat in in their burger in comparison to the giant bun.
In fairness, I should add that many of these spots were written by Cliff Freeman. And if you don’t know who that is then you deserve to spend the rest of your life attending focus groups in Croydon shopping center basements exploring the triggers that will generate humongous sales of the aforementioned pharmaceutical product.
However, looking back, my favorite Joe spot was a 1985 Wendy’s commercial that became nearly as famous as “Where’s the beef?” In it, Joe staged a Cold War era “Soviet Fashion Show” at a country club in Chicago. (This was also written by Cliff Freeman, as was “Where’s the beef?”) To emphasize the chain’s breadth of hamburger toppings and other bits and pieces, the ad showed a plus-size model strutting on a runway, wearing a babushka and the same drab, sleeveless dress that the uber sized female Russian army officer in military wear, announces as “day vear” then “evening vear” (accessorized only with a flashlight) and finally “swim vear (with a beach ball).
At the time, because I am such a cynical old bastard, it seemed to me that it was an ‘Homage’ to Ronnie Kirkwood’s “Wodka from Varrington!” But then again, I doubt either Joe or Cliff knew where Warrington is.
