Columbus Ledger-Enquirer Logo

The Chick-fil-A cows are out to pasture | Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Archives
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Special Sections
    • Contact Us
    • Plus
    • Newsletters
    • Newspaper in Education
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Services

    • News
    • Local News
    • Photos
    • Crime
    • Databases
    • Education
    • Job Spotlight
    • Georgia
    • Business
    • Nation/World
    • Lottery
    • Sports
    • Alabama
    • Auburn
    • Braves
    • Columbus State University
    • Cottonmouths
    • Falcons
    • Hawks
    • High Schools
    • UGA
    • Blogs & Columns
    • War Eagle Extra
    • Bulldogs Blog
    • Valley Preps
    • Guerry Clegg
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • ToDo
    • Living
    • Dining
    • Celebrations
    • Outdoors
    • Faith
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Horoscopes
    • Blogs & Columns
    • War Eagle Extra
    • Bulldogs Blog
    • Guerry Clegg
    • Tim Chitwood
    • Richard Hyatt
    • Ledger Inquirer
    • Valley Preps
    • Chuck Williams
    • Dimon Kendrick-Holmes
    • Alva James-Johnson
    • Natalia Naman Temesgen
    • Chris Johnson
    • Opinion
    • Forum
    • Letters
    • Dusty Nix
    • Sound Off
  • Obituaries
  • Readers' Choice

  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad

  • About Us
  • Mobile & Apps

Richard Hyatt

The Chick-fil-A cows are out to pasture

By RICHARD HYATT

Correspondent

    ORDER REPRINT →

July 30, 2016 08:28 PM

Those corny Chick-fil-A cows can’t spell a lick, but over the past 22 years they’ve sold millions of chicken sandwiches and saved the lives of herds of their four-legged friends.

Now the flourishing restaurant chain is putting the cows out to pasture — all in the name of change.

No one has a beef against the cows. They’ve been loyal, recognizing that when customers eat chicken sandwiches, they aren’t ordering burgers.

The late S. Truett Cathy founded The Dwarf Grill in 1946. Named because of its size, it fed generations of workers at a nearby Ford plant and the Atlanta airport. He perfected his trademark boneless chicken breast at that Hapeville location which became The Dwarf House.

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to the Ledger-Enquirer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Cathy opened his first quick-service restaurant in 1967 at a shopping mall in southwest Atlanta. The cows came along when the company began to expand into freestanding operations in 40 states.

The cows were the brainchild of an advertising agency in Texas. They helped Chick-fil-A become the nation’s largest chicken chain with annual sales of more than $5 billion.

Cathy died in 2014, and earlier this year the company hired a new marketing director. He has fired the agency and says the cows are nothing more than the company mascot.

“That’s what marketing directors do,” said retired advertising guru Jack Basset. “They fire advertising agencies. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them change the logo.”

Basset’s gifted soul is behind scores of local ad campaigns, including memorable TV spots where he cajoled Country’s Barbecue owner Jim Morpeth to pour glasses of iced tea on his head. Basset said clients must ask the question: Does it work for me?

“Mr. Cathy liked the cows. He liked that corny style of advertising. And it has been a great campaign. They’re running a great risk by making the change.”

Perhaps the sophisticated new guy doesn’t think the cows will sell outside the South. They’ve abandoned their original cole slaw in favor of a trendy kale salad and are tinkering with the menu that got them to the top.

Chick-fil-A’s move is akin to Coca-Cola’s disastrous switch to New Coke in 1985. It’s like Dan Amos clipping the wings of the Aflac Duck. Next thing you know, they’ll be opening on Sundays.

Richard Hyatt is an independent correspondent. Reach him at hyatt31906@knology.net

  Comments  

Videos

Civil War era African-American sailors come to life at the museum

Springer Opera House production of “Evita” moving to CSU’s Riverside Theatre Complex

View More Video

Trending Stories

Historic Westville village entering final stretch of preparation for Columbus debut

February 21, 2019 07:56 PM

Judge to rule if grand jury list valid in Kirby Smith cold murder case

February 21, 2019 06:14 PM

Columbus artists shares his street photography at Black Art in America gallery

February 22, 2019 08:00 AM

Broadway hit ‘Chicago’ opens Springer 2019 season. Here’s the rest of the line-up

February 22, 2019 02:24 PM

These 5 Columbus area teams still have a chance to win a 2019 state basketball title

February 22, 2019 05:02 PM

Read Next

Photographer shares his many views of Jimmy Carter

Richard Hyatt

Photographer shares his many views of Jimmy Carter

By Richard Hyatt

Correspondent

    ORDER REPRINT →

September 26, 2016 09:43 AM

It’s a friendly game of softball, but you can’t tell it by the grit on Jimmy Carter’s face. Swinging the bat, his forearms are flexed and his fingers are tense. His eyes are on fire, his lips curled. It might be the seventh game of the World Series.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to the Ledger-Enquirer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE RICHARD HYATT

University leader learned from Zell

Richard Hyatt

University leader learned from Zell

September 17, 2016 08:03 PM

Richard Hyatt

New security features worth little more than a blank stare at checkout

September 10, 2016 09:45 PM

Richard Hyatt

Unknown angel surprises diners

September 03, 2016 09:14 PM

Richard Hyatt

Studying virtue of vice

August 27, 2016 02:39 PM

Richard Hyatt

Hand: a legend in two realms

August 20, 2016 05:48 PM

Richard Hyatt

Forced to face my dental phobia

August 13, 2016 09:47 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
Advertising
  • Digital Solutions
  • Niche Solutions
  • Print Solutions
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story