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Bard of 2 brands, 'Carl Hardee,' takes chains to next level

April 3, 2017

Carl's Jr. and Hardee's parent, CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc., is launching an ad campaign to stake a claim on the burger landscape as "pioneers" in the beef-on-a-business.  

The first iterations of that campaign started last month, according to a news release, when the brands debuted their so-called "pioneer anthem" television commercial, which the parent company describes as the "pop culture-driven fast food history lesson of your life." Now it's introducing the public to its fictional founder and spokesperson, Carl Hardee Sr., portrayed by actor Charles Esten, who appears in the new TV spot to reclaim the company from his equally fictional son, Carl Hardee Jr, played by Drew Tarver. 

"The best stories have a storyteller," said Jason Norcross, partner and executive creative director at 72andSunny, which created the new campaign. "Creating both Carl Hardee Sr. and Carl Hardee Jr. gives us a fresh way to talk about the food, while helping the brand get credit for all the pioneering it does in the industry. People care about what’s in their food more than ever, and this campaign is all about getting back to talking about what makes Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s stand out against its competition — its history of innovation and the story behind its quality products."

The company has also updated logos and food photography for both brands as part of this year's marketing make-over.