Abstract

When the American fast food chain Jack in the Box re-launched their brand, they decided to re-introduce the spokescharacter “Jack,” the fictional CEO of the company and evangelist for the brand and its products. Jack is composed of a large clown's head mounted on a human body and, although he is clearly a construction, the creative device requires that Jack work and act as a true living being. According to the agency, Jack was envisioned as a “red-blooded, muscle car driving, American male” (New York American Marketing Association 2005). Jack's humor is irreverent and at times cynical. In past commercials, which began airing in 1995 and continue to this day, Jack has been shown wrestling patrons to the ground and exchanging double-entendres with his wife in bed.