Where’s the Beef?
January 10, 1984
The Wendy’s hamburger chain first airs it famous commercial starring 81-year-old Clara Peller. Wendy’s sales jumped 31% during the ad campaign. Peller was paid actor-scale wages of $317.40 per day for the first commercial. It is reported that she was paid about $500,000 for the series of commercials that followed.
Peller became an overnight sensation and went on to appear on TV talk shows, Saturday Night Live, and even served as a guest time-keeper for the Battle Royale at WrestleMania 2.