CKE unapologetic about indulgence in new adsCKE unapologetic about indulgence in new ads

Mark Brandau

CKE Restaurants Inc. may have switched ad agencies this year, but its marketing philosophy of pitching indulgent burgers to “young, hungry guys” with babes in bikinis appears to be wholly intact.

The parent company to Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s debuted a TV campaign this week to introduce its new tagline, “Just the way it is.” The latest commercial, “Anthem,” features attractive models, “big, fat, juices-running-down-your-arm kind of burgers,” sandwiches shot from miniature cannons, and cameos from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, actress Olivia Munn and CKE chief executive Andy Puzder.

Calling the new commercial “a stake in the ground that reinforces our voice and identity,” Puzder said CKE’s latest round of TV spots shows that the company believes in “supporting our food with advertising that says something about who we are.”

The core beliefs shared by Carl’s Jr. employees depicted in the new advertisement include gems like, “We believe in putting hot models in our commercials, because ugly ones don’t sell burgers.”

See the commercial:

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“Anthem” is the second commercial created for CKE by Los Angeles-based agency David & Goliath, which won the account in January. The first collaboration between the agency and CKE was a commercial for the Charbroiled Turkey Burger, featuring a bikini-clad Gizem Memiç, the reigning 2010 Miss Turkey.

“The campaign is designed to tell the world what Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s stand for and serves as a rallying cry for the company,” David Angelo, chairman and chief creative officer for David & Goliath, said in a statement. “‘Just the way it is’ serves as a filter for everything the brands do, from the honest, indulgent food they make to their unapologetic attitude.”

CKE said the “Anthem” shoot spanned five days and eight locations throughout Los Angeles, making it the largest commercial production ever completed for Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr.

Carpinteria, Calif.-based CKE operates or franchises 1,249 Carl’s Jr. restaurants and 1,899 Hardee’s units in 42 states and 18 countries.

Contact Mark Brandau at [email protected].