Grease or Greens?

Eating food is an everyday necessity and we as college students sometimes don’t have time to feed ourselves. When we do make time, we tend to grab the quickest most convenient foods there are. It is a decision made quickly and our hunger is solved! However, this type of repetition in the long run, may lead to health problems in the future. Most restaurants or fast food places don’t give health information when advertising their products in commercials. Most of them focus more on explaining the product: what is in it, what type of bread, whether it was toasted or baked, and etc. Subway, a restaurant that is well known for serving healthy sandwiches does exactly that AND they give out health information. Take a look at this funny, but true commercial.



This commercial consists of an average middle-aged couple. They are in a car and are ordering food through the drive thru window of some unknown fast food restaurant. The man orders first and then the woman orders next. You don’t hear the type of order you would normally hear through a drive thru: a double cheeseburger and large fries. Instead, the man orders love handles, double chin, and double blubber. She orders the same thing he does, but instead of the blubber got thunder thighs and badonkadonk butt. The commercial reaches out and tells you exactly what you are doing to yourselves when you order from fast food restaurants. You order loads of fatty unhealthy foods that add to thighs, stomach, gluteus maximus, arms, legs, everything! The ironic thing is that these people are hurting themselves. So why would anyone ask for thunder thighs or a badonkadonk butt? It makes people realize that they are hurting themselves by eating fast food. Instead, if they want to make the right decision, they should treat themselves to Subway. Subway shows this image of the Subway Fresh Fit Meal. The name says it all. The meal is supposed to fresh and keeps you fit! Unlike the greasy junk food, you can have fruits along with a sandwich that consists of healthy greens and lean meat. Subway always advertises how low calorie their meals are. The real message here is to save yourself, eat healthy, and come to Subway.

In this other commercial, Arby's, a fast food chain advertises their new sandwich.




Unlike the Subway commercial, this Arby's commercial did not give off the healthy vibe. It took on a more traditional stand and represented its sandwiches. The scene takes place at a construction site; it looks like it can possibly be downtown. The main characters are three construction men who are taking a break and watching people walk by. There are two beautiful women who walk right past these workers and they don't even stop to notice. All of a sudden, this older man who looks nerdy and is carrying an Arby's bag walks by and all the guys start cheering and checking him out. You will notice that the Arby's symbol, which is a cowboy hat, is right above each of their heads. This symbolizes that the men are all wanting to eat Arby's. Arby's is trying to come off as a manly burger/sandwich. It's saying, "Hey if you're hungry, think like a man, get some Arby's. We can satisfy your hunger."

These two commercials represent themselves in different ways. It's okay to eat fast food, just don't have too much of it. Look out for yourself. Get the message.