PR Hellstorm: Child Finds Severed Finger In Arby’s Sandwich Days After Arby’s “Severed Hand” Commercial Airs

Worst timing ever: An Arby’s customer discovered part of a severed finger in his sandwich — just days after the company released a commercial in which a disembodied hand emerges from a to-go bag.

Allow me to explain. Here’s the ad’s concept: An Arby’s customer, enjoying his chicken salad sandwich, muses that he wishes he could “shake the hand” that made his sandwich. At that moment, a severed(?) hand leaps out of the to-go bag next to him:

It’s called “Thing,” Arby’s. And you’re about 60 years late. Anyway.

When I saw this Arby’s ad last night, I couldn’t help but think what a fantastically stupid idea it was. After all, hapless folks find creepy stuff in their fast-food all the time. Consider the recent McDonald’s hashbrown incident. The ad conjured just far too many gruesome memories.

And, wouldn’t you know it, just a day later, word emerged that a 14-year-old found, yep, part of a severed finger in his Arby’s sandwich.

Lessons in advertising: Don’t imagine scenarios that would be horrifying if they happened in real life. Because they just might.

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