Advertising: Herb Comes Out of Hiding

Not noted for creative cuisine, the fast-food industry is at least imaginative in its advertising. First came Wendy's popular "Where's the beef?" commercials, and then last November Burger King launched a clever "Where's Herb?" campaign. Herb was allegedly "the one man who has never tasted a Burger King burger." In one commercial the camera pans across crowded beaches and escalators in search of Herb.

Last week Burger King proclaimed that it had found Herb. Suddenly the once invisible man was appearing on NBC's Today show and at a New York City press conference. Burger King even cooked up a biography for...