I just read that Wendy’s is bringing back the classic yellow, and this old commercial suddenly seems very timely.
To clarify, they’re not turning the restaurants yellow again. Starting September 28, Wendy’s began rolling out the old yellow packaging at U.S. locations — cups, burger wrappers, fry cartons, nugget boxes, Frosty containers and more. It’s expected to continue into 2027.
And apparently I’m not the only one who remembers it. Wendy’s says fans have been asking for the yellow to come back for years.
Take a look at this commercial from 1977. This was Wendy’s “Hot & Juicy” era, and the chain had only just launched its first national television campaign. The yellow cups and that red-and-yellow restaurant look were becoming part of the Wendy’s identity most of us would remember for years afterward.
I also found something I didn’t know. The very first Wendy’s opened in Columbus, Ohio in 1969, but the original restaurant exterior was actually blue and white. Yellow became much more prominent as Wendy’s grew through the 1970s and eventually became one of those things you instantly associated with the place.
And Wendy’s was growing fast. In March 1978, less than nine years after opening the first restaurant, they opened location number 1,000.
This commercial also reminds me of what Wendy’s was selling back then — “Hot & Juicy” hamburgers made to order with whatever toppings you wanted. A few years later came the salad bars, baked potatoes and, of course, “Where’s the beef?”
Funny how something as simple as the color of a cup can bring all of that back.
Do you remember the yellow Wendy’s — and would you like to see them bring back more of the old restaurant look too?
WENDY’S IS GOING YELLOW AGAIN — AND THIS 1977 COMMERCIAL SHOWS WHY
