Jack In The Box Under Fire For Sexually Charged Ad

NEW YORK (CBSDFW.COM/CBSNEWS.COM) - Burger chain Jack in the Box is under fire for a sexual innuendo-laden TV commercial to promote a new menu offering.

The spot features "Jack," the chain's fictitious CEO known for his oversized plastic head, likening the chain's Teriyaki Bowls to a part of the male anatomy. "You've got some pretty nice bowls, but so does Dan," the company's mascot says. A female colleague then compliments "Dan" on his "nice bowls."  The ad contains more than a dozen "bowl-themed" metaphors.

AdWeek's David Griner denounced the advertisement as "one of the most tone-deaf ads of the #MeToo era."

"In perhaps its most telling moment, the ad tries to go meta by having a lawyer explain to Jack that the campaign is inappropriate, but (in a commendable accurate portrayal of male executives), he doesn't understand what the fuss is about," Griner wrote.

In a joint statement, Jack in the Box and the ad agency behind the "bowls" campaign, David & Goliath, denied that the commercial makes light of sexual harassment.

"[A]s a brand known by its fans for its tongue-in-cheek, playful sense of humor, this ad is simply a creative and humorous expression around the teriyaki bowl product," the companies said in a joint statement. "It intends to highlight how a burger brand such as Jack in the Box dares to go beyond the usual fast food fare and serve something different."

Griner, Creative and Innovation Editor at AdWeek, stands by his criticism.

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