An Ohio woman dressed up as a fast-food mascot and won free burgers for a year.

An Ohio woman dressed up as a fast-food mascot and won free burgers for a year.

Jennifer beat out nearly 20 other redheads in New York City to win the Wendy's lookalike contest.

Sometimes, looking like a cartoon on a cardboard cup can change your whole year. One woman just proved that having red hair and pigtails is worth a lot of free lunch.

What Happened

An Ohio woman named Jennifer traveled to New York City for a strange contest. She competed against nearly 20 other people on a stage at Seaport Square.

They all dressed up as the Wendy's fast-food mascot. They wore red wigs, blue dresses, and drew fake freckles on their faces.

The judges made them model, read social media posts, and perform fake commercials. The founder's daughter, Wendy Thomas, helped pick the winner. Jennifer won first place and gets free burgers for a full year.

What the evidence shows

• 1 year of free Dave's Single burgers for the winner.
• Nearly 20 contestants competed on stage.
• 3 rounds of performance tasks to find the best lookalike.
• 4 percent of people in the US have natural red hair.
• 5th largest restaurant chain in the nation is Wendy's.

The Bigger Question

This fun show hides a smart business plan. Fast-food chains need to stand out. Wendy's uses its red-haired mascot to look friendly and local.

Should we wonder why we love corporate brands so much? We dress up like their logos for free food. It shows how deep these brands live in our daily lives.

The Other Side

Some people say these contests are just cheap tricks to get free news coverage. They argue that giving away a few burgers is a tiny price for a giant ad. Still, the event brought real joy to the people who took part.

It is hard to see any real harm in a fun day for redheads.

What Happens Now

Jennifer will get to eat free Dave's Single burgers for the next 12 months. Regular people might see more of these odd events as brands try to get views on phones.

Fast food prices keep going up. Finding fun ways to get free meals might become more popular.

What We Still Don't Know

• How many calories will she eat if she eats a burger every day?
• Where will the next mascot contest take place?