Conan Tries To Figure Out Which Fast Food Chain His Fan Works For | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan

Micah, what do you do at this company? What is this company? Uh, so I'm a. designer. I work for an advertising. firm. Okay. You know, my wife worked in. advertising when I met her and uh yeah, that's the world she came from. Um Oh, cool. And uh so you work at an. advertising firm and what's your do you. have a specialty in advertising? Yeah, so I work on a big fast food client. I've been working with them for about 12. years. And I do all the me and my team, we do all the design work and we shoot. all the food photography just about.

every month, which as you can imagine, it's pretty I have a couple questions. Pretty tempting. I'm guessing you can't. tell us the name of the fast food place. I cannot tell you right now. Yeah. And. you can't even probably give us hints. like they make a good taco or are you. loving it? Yeah. They're the king of fast food burgers. you know, that's all kind of thing, you. know, whatever. It's not important. It's, uh, I mean, it is important. I. will find out and I will disclose it to. my fans. Yes, you are. Um, so, uh, you.

are the person who does photography for. fast food. Is that right? You're like. you're in charge of the whole thing. So, once a month, we we fly out to our photo. partner in St. Louis and it's a several. day shoot and it gets it gets intense. with the food stylist and getting to. work with them and direct things. You. know, we'll we'll fuss over strips of. lettuce on a burger for a good hour just. making sure it's perfect. It's perfect. It's perfect. Well, you know, I've. noticed when you when you look at.

photographs of uh food, especially fast. food, everything looks it's it it's like. the most perfect burger you've ever. seen. or the display of fries, the way. the different fries, individual French. fries play out perfect. I mean, it's all. done with such attention to detail. What's it like to be setting that up? I. mean, it's got to be a lot of pressure. It is. I mean, it's fun for me cuz I'm. not the food stylist, right? So, I get. to just Well, I see something here and I. get to move this around, but you're the.

dick. You know. what? like, you know, he's the guy who's. like, uh, that piece of, you know, lettuce isn't right. And then he's like, move it. Too many onions. That poppy. that poppy seed is shaped a little like. Lyndon Johnson. Oh, you would not believe you would not. believe how many times we and some of. our clients see different faces or. different things and like, why is there. a worm in that bacon? What is the worm.

in the bacon? But if you stare at. anything long enough, you're going to. see your worst nightmare. Uh when you're. there, is the food edible or has the. food become just a a comm is is it cold. and you've covered it with I mean, do. you do stuff to the food to make it. photographed better so that it's kind of. inedible? Yeah. So years ago, you were. able to just do whatever you want to it. to just have it keep. But I think just. because of regulation and lawsuits of. late for a lot of people, all the food.

that we shoot, it's it's edible. Like. one of our food stylists, not not for my. client, but he had to actually rebuild a. burger in front of a judge in court of. law for a lawsuit. Wow. Whoa. Really? To. prove that he could do it. To prove that. this is real. We're not using anything. fake. This is how we shot it. Just like. this. It was crazy. I once Cool. before. an award show, I went to a stylist and I. accidentally hired a food stylist. and I only knew when they were they were.

spreading mustard under my eyes. Pouring. lettuce on your head. Yeah. Then I had a. lettuce for hair and on the red carpet. I just killed it. People remember that I. got more. It was the cover of US Weekly. You just need to spritz the tomato. That's all. Spritz the tomato. But I. mean, in the old days, I always heard. that they would practically coat the. burger with, you know, motor oil, motor. oil or whatever they had to do to make. it look appealing. So that ice cream. used to be mashed potatoes. It's It used. to be crazy. Yeah. Yeah. Is this true,

Sona? They would coat a burger with. motor oil. No, but for syrup, I heard. they used to do that. They used to put. motor oil on the on the pancakes. Oh. And then until they burst into flame. during a photo shoot. Remember the great. pancake fire of 1987? 700 people were killed and three p and. three buttermilk cakes were lost. But. the pictures were pretty. When my wife. worked in advertising when we met, she. was I think on a food account for I I.

probably shouldn't say, but she was. working on a a cookie that if you dipped. it in milk would like turn the milk. blue, I think. Um Oh, really? Yeah. And. it later turned out to be plutonium. Um. Oh, perfect. Yeah, they had uh illegally. sourced your wife invented plutonium. That's great. Yeah. Turned out that she. was a spy and um Saddam Hussein paid her. a lot of money for that cookie. It was a. long time ago. Long time ago. Um but uh. so you're there and you're did you you.

must have moments because I have these. moments all the time in my life where. I'm doing what has become my work and I. step outside my body and I say, "How did. this become my career?" And you must. have moments where you're there and 15. people were standing around looking at a. triple cheeseburger. and people are with tweezers moving a. pickle slightly to the right and you. must step outside your body and go, "How. did this happen?" Absolutely. No, that. happens all the time, especially when. we're on set shooting things cuz it's.

literally exactly what you said. It's a. whole team of people just looking at me. sometimes going, "Is it good? Is it. ready?" You're like, "No, it's it's not. there yet. Move Let's move the bun back. a little bit." Or, you know, the limeade. just needs a little more ice on top. Oh, man. We're almost there. Lime. That's a. clue. Can you Can you have free food. always? Do you have Oh, Sona goes right. to the heart of free food. Do you get Do. they cater it with the food from the. company or can you go and get free? Hold. it. Just I know. I'm excited. Suna just.

wants you to mail her a burger. That's. all. I will I will show up with a bunch. of food if you all want me to the. studio. Okay. Right. Uh not a you're. going to drive with the food from Kansas. City. Oh, absolutely. From Kansas City. So, you have to be sensitive. First of. all, let's talk about it. In. advertising, it's all about the client. So, is the client there? I'm guessing. the client is there. Yes, clients there. Luckily, clients, our clients are. amazing. Fantastic. I've always heard.

Ronald McDonald a very nice guy. Every now and then the hamburglar comes. along and something goes missing. So anyway, uh your clients. uh are nice. That's good. That's And. clearly you've been with them a long. time. And do you ever like go to the. actual uh venues? You ever go to the the. fast food restaurants and check out how. the photographs are being displayed, you. know, in the Oh, yeah. and and you know.

in the restaurant or a lot of stuff is. drive-thru now, isn't it? I mean, so. many places are just drive-thru. Most of. it is. No, we I will go and some of my. other designers and copyrighters, we. will go once a month to make sure like. it is presented properly. You know, some. some stores don't get it quite right, but you know, what would be when you say. they don't do it quite right, the. lighting isn't right on the burger that. you beautifully shot. No, like we we. make sure all of our stuff is great and. good to go to print. I'm talking about. sometimes there will be Oh, an entire.

menu is just displayed upside down. Oh, well, okay. After doing several I love. that they didn't catch that on their. own. They installed it. What's the. problem? Looks okay to me. Um, you notice they're wearing their. pants on their head, their shoes on. their ears. I don't see any trouble. here. Um, I have to go to the ceiling now and use. the toilet. Luckily, it's easy things that we get to.

call out. Oh, no. Uh, wow. Okay. So, that's funny that you and this this posi. of yours drive around and I just hear. like the Peter Gun theme. and you like cruise in to But you're not. just there like other customers. You're. there to check it out, make sure that. everything undercover boss. Oh, you. know, they go to like through the. drive-thru and they're like, "What can I. get you?" And you're like, "A right side. up menu, bitch." Yeah, Yeah. And. then you peel out for no reason, killing.

four people. You'll be hearing from me. You'll be. hearing from me. We'll be back. When. your. menu is right side up. I love that you. have to check on that. I hope they put. the menu right side up. I'll have a. remha bahi. A what? A rema. Do you mean hamburger? That's what it is. upside down.