Fast-service burger joint Carl’s Jr. will no longer use scantily clad women to help sell its wares.
The company famously linked up with the likes of Paris Hilton, Charlotte McKinney and Kate Upton for commercials in which they scarfed the chain’s sandwiches while striking sexually suggestive poses.
Though some might hope that a crisis of conscience led the company’s marketers to make the change and move away from objectification-as-marketing, but why does any organization change a once-successful market strategy? Flagging sales.
The company teamed up with the agency 72andSunny for a more grownup campaign.
“They’ve never really gotten credit for their quality, and we want that message to land with consumers,” Jason Norcross, executive creative director and partner at 72andSunny, told Adweek. “We want to reclaim their bona fides. It was time to evolve.”
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At least they’re having a bit of fun with the new campaign, which features the return of “Carl Hardee Sr.” in a 3-minute video:
The racy ads briefly entered a national political discussion earlier this year when CKE Restaurant’s chief excecutive, Andrew Puzder—who has defended his company’s ads in the past—was briefly considered for U.S. labor secretary.
Puzder eventually withdrew his name from the running, and will retire in April.
The campaign is part of a total rebranding, and comes alongside a new color scheme, packaging and focus on food quality. There’s also a new slogan: "Pioneers of the Great American Burger.”
However, it’s not clear whether the company will change its ingredients or recipes.
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