The Ads vs. Reality

The good, the bad and the ugly!
By Vicki Passmore, AOL Money & Finance Editor
Inspired by an online photo gallery we stumbled across,
we sent our photo editor out on the same mission:
Compare what you get with what the ad promises.

Item: KFC Famous Bowl -- Our Verdict: Ugly
It wouldn't be polite to tell you what we think the real bowl looks like,
but it's not something you'd wanna eat.

Item: McDonald's Big Mac -- Our Verdict: Good
Sure the beef in the ad photo glistens and the cheese glows,
but we think the real deal was not too dissimilar.

Item: Wendy's Chicken Cordon Bleu -- Our Verdict: Good
Other than the sandwich looking a little squished and having less seeds,
we found it acceptable.

Item: Burger King Double Whopper -- Our Verdict: Ugly
This pitiful burger is just sad. Sad, sad burger.
It reminds of us when magazines photoshop celebs.

Item: Pizza Hut Bread Sticks -- Our Verdict: Good
There are less seasonings on top,
but one might actually prefer the more golden-brown version we received.

Item: Chick-Fil-A Chicken Sandwich -- Our Verdict: Bad
Sure a fried chicken sandwich is not very healthy,
but the grease on the real bun, won't let you forget it.

Item: A&W Chili Cheese Dog -- Our Verdict: Ugly
One word: Ugh!

Item: Arby's Ham & Cheese -- Our Verdict: Good
A little lopsided, no "folded" slices of ham or perfectly placed cheese,
but not at all shocking.

Item: Long John Silver's Shrimp -- Our Verdict: Good
Well, good is a relative term here.
The ad is glistening fried "stuff" and the items we purchased are too.

Item: Taco Bell Grande Quesadilla -- Our Verdict: Bad
Even though the actual one seems pretty innocuous,
we found the fluffy tortilla in the ad to be very misleading.

How They Photograph A Mouthwatering Burger

When shooting a bun with sesame seeds, carefully arrange them with glue and tweezers.

Use waterproof spray on the surface so it won't get soggy.

Cook just the outside of the meat and leave the center raw to keep it plump and moist.

Paint the burger with oil and brown coloring.

To make grill marks, brand the meat with a hot metal skewer.

Use paper towels to make a diaper for the meat so no juices leak on the bun.

Find an attractive lettuce leaf with no brown spots.

Use only center slices of the best tomato.

Spray the tomato with a mist of water and glycerin to keep it looking fresh.