Advertising: Herb Comes Out of Hiding

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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 Herb, who supposedly grew up in Wisconsin, once worked in a cheese factory and later sold duck decoys. The identity of the man who portrays Herb is being kept secret.

Many on Madison Avenue think that consumers may soon get bored with the $40 million Herb campaign. The commercials have not yet generated the rise in sales that Burger King expected, say industry experts. One reason: McDonald's has countered with an $80 million advertising blitz to promote its new beef, lettuce and tomato sandwich, the McD.L.T.