Jack In The Box Used To Have Its Own Boy Band (No, Really)

Jack in the Box has always done things a little differently. From its extensive menu — which features egg rolls, tacos, and burgers – to making a stoner's combo meal with Snoop Dogg, the California-based fast food chain isn't afraid to get a little weird. So perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise that once upon a time, Jack in the Box had its very own boy band.

The Meaty Cheesy Boys were a spoof boy band that played a starring role in Jack in the Box advertising in the late 1990s and early 2000s. They burst onto the fast food marketing scene in the 1999 commercial "Meaty Cheesy Boys," in which they performed their hit single "Ultimate Cheeseburger" to promote — you guessed it — Jack in the Box's Ultimate Cheeseburger. In the iconic ad, five hunky guys in parachute pants croon, "Girl you know there's one thing that I love ... but it's not you I'm thinking of ... I want the ultimate cheeseburger." True to its name, it's incredibly cheesy, but also undeniably catchy.

The Meaty Cheesy Boys were, sadly, fictitious. But the lore surrounding the mock band is a truly impressive work of fiction. According to The Meaty Cheesy Boys' defunct official website, the band consisted of five members: EJ, TK, JT, TJ, and the other EJ. There was also apparently a sixth member, JJ, who was kicked out after attempting to eat a veggie burger. (JJ would probably be delighted to learn that Jack in the Box has started testing plant-based options.)

From the fun facts listed on their website, we learn that the boys met at a Jack in the Box restaurant. Their original name, Playaz Can Harmonize, was changed to The Meaty Cheesy Boys when they realized they all shared a passion for meat and cheese. They apparently rose to fame after being discovered by a Jack in the Box executive and releasing their smash hit single, "Ultimate Cheeseburger."

Their debut album, "Meat, Cheese & Love," allegedly became an instant hit and went multi-platinum. This success inspired The Meaty Cheesy Boys to start a Beginner Boy Band Training School to "spread our message of meat, cheese, and love, yo," according to a mock interview with the other EJ.

The Meaty Cheesy Boys appeared in Jack in the Box advertisements at a time when boy bands like the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC were incredibly popular. In a 1999 press release, Jack in the Box's vice president of advertising noted that the fictitious band was "obviously intended to parody the current wave of young, sensitive-yet-hunky boy groups." So no, the Meaty Cheesy Boys weren't serious. But they ended up having a very real cultural impact. In a gloriously 1990s moment, the mock band actually performed "Ultimate Cheeseburger" at the 1999 Billboard Music Awards. They also released Plugged, a real limited-edition three-track CD that was sold at Jack in the Box restaurants and included such catchy tracks as "Let's Go Get Some Fries."

From blowing up its mascot in a 1980 commercial to creating a fake boy band with extended lore, it's clear that Jack in the Box isn't afraid to have some fun and commit to the bit. The Meaty Cheesy Boys haven't appeared in a Jack in the Box commercial since releasing their CD in 2001, but there may be hope for a revival — the chain is currently selling an exclusive Meaty Cheesy Boys tee in honor of the band's 25th anniversary.