Boneless Chicken Wings

The invention of Buffalo Wings, the All-American football food, is an interesting story. There was a recipe printed for chicken wings in the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser as early as 1894. Later, John Young, a Black restaurateur, opened a place called Wings and Things in the early 1960s serving Mumbo Wings: breaded chicken wings in hot sauce, and in some versions, he is considered the inventor of Buffalo Wings. Yet Anchor Bar co-owner Theresa Belissimo is most widely credited with the invention of the spicy snack. Caution: trying to find out who invented Buffalo Wings can lead you into a spiraling vortex on the interwebs.

Chicken wings were cheap once upon a time since most chefs used wings and other parts of the bird for creating chicken stock. During the 1990s chicken wings had become more expensive than chicken breasts. Wings became popular and America’s appetite for chicken nuggets (pulled from other parts of the chicken, not breasts) exploded. This sudden shortage was fueled by young Millennials, whose parents plied them with frozen Tyson’s nuggets at home and McNuggets on the go. As it turns out Millennials will not eat chicken off the bone and companies like KFC have suffered.

So in 2003, Buffalo Wild Wings (BW3) invented “Boneless Chicken Wings.” No confusion here as to the inventor, as the National Chicken Council officially lists BW3 as the originator of boneless chicken wings. Despite the fact that they’re not de-boned wings and actually chicken nuggets, they became an instant sensation. Odds are you can find boneless wings right alongside regular wings at any sports bar in the country. Yes, boneless wings are not actually wings. Truth in advertising? Customer Michael Berkheimer sued BW3 in 2017 saying that he was duped, but the Ohio Supreme Court ruled against him in July of last year.

Faced with increasing costs and anticipating lower demand for on-the-bone chicken, BW3 consulted with its ad agency at the time – The Martin Agency, our friends a dozen blocks away on Cary Street. Soon after Boneless Chicken Wings were born.

So it’s not such a stretch to say that Boneless Chicken Wings were first invented by a team of marketing folks in Richmond, Virginia, and not in Buffalo New York.

Proof yet again, that your ad agency can “hatch” great ideas for your brand. Could your company use some new, bold ideas? You should call us sometime.