Greater Mineola coverage is funded in part by The Farm Italy — a striking neighborhood restaurant and cocktail bar that brings the simplicity, beauty and seasonal freshness of local Italian dining to Westbury.
Actor Ving Rhames shook the airwaves in 2014 with that booming “We Have The Meats.” But the vision behind the Arby’s slogan and brand’s massive brand turnaround was crafted by a strategist with deep Long Island roots.
Michael Fanuele, a 1990 Chaminade High School graduate, has spent decades defining the voice of American fast food and other famous food and drink brands, developing ad campaigns for the likes of Dos Equis, Cheerios and Häagen-Dazs.
His latest gig: serving as chief brand officer at Shake Shack.
Saving Arby’s
As chief strategy officer at Fallon Worldwide, Fanuele wrote the “Meat Manifesto” that saved Arby’s. The brand was struggling, chasing “healthy” alternatives it couldn’t win.
Fanuele made a contrarian call: lean into the meat. Unapologetically. The move launched Arby’s into one of the fastest-growing chains in the country.
Fanuele, who grew up in Queens and Copiague, credits a Chaminade High School English teacher with sparking his love for the power of words. And his working-class Italian-American upbringing on Long Island gave him something Madison Avenue couldn’t teach: a relatable, common-sense lens.
“I grew up in an immigrant Italian-American working-class family on Long Island, but I had a seventh-grade teacher who said ‘Michael, you’re destined for things your parents weren’t,'” Fanuele told Navigate Forward.
“I had a high school English teacher who inspired me with the power of words and poetry and literature,” added Fanuele, who returned to Chaminade’s Mineola campus this month to deliver the keynote address at the school’s annual alumni Leadersship Summit. “I’ve been really lucky to always be surrounded by people who mainlined spirit into my soul.”
Returning to Mineola roots
Arby’s wasn’t Fanuele’s only huge win. He helped build “The Most Interesting Man in the World” for Dos Equis — a campaign that became a permanent fixture in pop culture.
Additionally, as General Mills’ first-ever chief creative officer, he oversaw Cheerios and Häagen-Dazs. He also wrote a best-selling book: “Stop Making Sense: The Art of Inspiring Anybody.”
Fanuele joined Shake Shack last September in a move that reunited him with CEO Rob Lynch, the former Arby’s CMO. As chief bran officer, Fanuele oversees advertising, paid media, and insights and analytics.
In his May 6 podcast interview below, he discusses his approach to leadership and how hospitality serves as a brand advantage.
Top: LinkedIn/Shake Shack
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