News

Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s launch new sandwich, ad campaign

June 22, 2011

CKE Restaurants' Carl's Jr. and Hardee's restaurants have launched their newest menu item, the Hand-Breaded Chicken Fillet Sandwich.

The sandwich, available now, is freshly prepared, battered and breaded by hand in every restaurant throughout the day.

According to Brad Haley, chief marketing officer for Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, the launch is the result of customer demand for the chains' Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders.

"It was a natural step for us to start making our chicken breast sandwiches the very same way, and the result is incredible," he said. "Battered and breaded by hand, our new Hand-Breaded Chicken Fillet Sandwich is big, thick and juicy, and tastes just like you would make it at home."

The Hand-Breaded Chicken Fillet Sandwich features a hand-breaded chicken breast fillet, dipped in a buttermilk and egg batter, dusted with seasoned flour and then fried to a golden crisp. It is topped with tomato, lettuce and mayonnaise and served on a seeded bun. It is available for $3.99 as an entrée or $6.49 as a combo with fries and a drink. Prices may vary.

New ad spot complements sandwich

To support the positioning "Machines can't eat it, so machines shouldn't make it," the brands' ad agency, Los Angeles-based David & Goliath, created a humorous 30-second TV spot, titled "Robot," that depicts a dejected, life-size robot trying to indulge in a Hand-Breaded Chicken Fillet Sandwich without any luck because he doesn't have a mouth.

An additional 60-second commercial is also available online, which shows the robot destroying its apartment in frustration. Both spots were directed by Rocky Morton and include extensive special effects, lasers, pyrotechnics and more.

The robot was designed and created by Legacy Effects, a specialized robotic and creature design firm for films and commercials in Los Angeles. The robot was brought to life for the commercial through a combination of animatronics, specialized puppeteers, a robot-costumed actor and CGI special effects.

The "Robot" will also be appearing at participating Carl's Jr. and Hardee's restaurants, as a 6-foot-tall cardboard replica of the character will be on display for guests to take photos with.

In addition, the new Hand-Breaded Chicken Fillet Sandwich will be supported by a digital campaign that will be revealed later this month on the brands' YouTube, Facebook and Twitter pages.