If you check Twitter, chances are you will see at least one tweet from the corporate accounts of Wendy’s, Burger King or even Taco Bell. These are just a few examples of the many business-oriented Twitter pages that keep getting closer to the line of dystopian fiction to reach their goal: “Relatable” advertising.

     The most famous example of these trendy Twitter accounts is Wendy’s.

     The account has been notable for its “sassy” replies to both complaints and other companies. “When the tweets are as broken as the ice cream machine,” one of their tweets read,  responding to a glitched tweet from McDonald’s official account. 

     Another reads, “Can’t wait to try a burger from the place that thought pancakes were too hard,” in reference to when IHOP temporarily changed its name to IHOB.

         A business views its customers as a means to an end, like how a farmer views their crops. You can safely assume that anything done by someone with a ™ in their name is trying to sell you something. 

    Deliberately or not, these practices blur the lines between what is and is not advertising. Adults who have been around before the age of technology would know this is advertising from simply living in our society. Teenagers, however, whose only exposure to the world of business are these practices, would likely not recognize these as ads. 

     These businesses want young consumers to think of them as “friends.” That restaurant roasting other businesses online is a pretty novel idea. Wendy’s knows you are not going to see a tweet and immediately go out to buy a burger, but they want the idea of them in your head. 

     Next time you are in town and hungry, you will remember that funny tweet you saw earlier. You might as well get some Wendy’s while you are here. 

     Ironically, Steak-umms, a frozen meat company, posted an eye-opening tweet about this topic. They write that young people, “have had mass advertising drilled into their media consumption” and that older generations, “have no concept for growing up in this strange time.”  

     This idea of advertising being a humongous factor of our lives is new to our generation. Our perception of the world has been hijacked and  monetized.

      Next time you see Wendy’s recent tweet, or Colonel Sanders’ latest hijinks, remember that their ultimate goal is selling you a product. Nothing more, nothing less.

Maxwell Reese, Staff Writer