Why You'll Probably Never See A Five Guys Commercial

We live in a world fraught with advertisements. From mobile game promos appearing every few minutes on YouTube to the jarring Spotify sponsor breaks, promotions and commercials are a staple of today's marketing-centric world. 

When it comes to food, there's the commercial for Wendy's Hot and Crispy Fries that sneers at competitors (via YouTube), a blaring advertisement for Happy Meal toys at McDonald's, and Subway using celebrities and quarterbacks to promise us for the umpteenth time that its sandwiches are totally and completely fresh. You probably saw one of these today before you even sat down to read this. But, amid all the marketing jargon and sometimes cringe-worthy attempts to appeal to the masses, you'll notice that there's one fast food player that hasn't had a commercial — Five Guys.

The chain started in 1986 in Arlington, Virginia (via the official website). According to Thrillist, the burger joint is known for several things, such as their secret menu, the literal handfuls of peanuts at every location, and being a great place to grab a fast burger. But unlike most burger-slinging giants, the company seems to prefer remaining off the airwaves and away from the mainstream marketing method of ads. How exactly can a company be so popular, even without high-value celebs and professional athletes touting their hefty hamburgers or jingles proclaiming the almighty goodness of free peanuts?

Avoiding the marketing clichés and descriptive buzzwords, Five Guys relies on the old-fashioned word-of-mouth method. Retail and Hospitality Hub interviewed Jason Lee, Senior Director of Global Logistics at Five Guys and he shared that the chain depends on providing the best quality service and products instead of old-school marketing tactics to attract customers.

The Focus states that, while there was a brief and baseless rumor that the chain would close in 2021, the truth is that even without leaning on the traditional forms of advertisement, the Virginia-based burger chain is doing quite well. According to Workstream, the company has over 1,500 stores across the country and has been praised for its simple menu and no-frills attitude (via Business Insider). In a time where Wendy's tries to roast McDonald's, and Burger King tries to be viral with their newest Whopper, it's a refreshing thought to know that some companies focus not on being epic viral meme material or shoving promos in your face, but instead on good old burgers, fries, and peanuts.