CARPINTERIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s® announce a flavor face-off of epic proportions, southwestern style: introducing the Tex Mex Bacon Thickburger available now at participating Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurants nationwide.
Served on the chains’ signature Fresh Baked Buns, the Tex Mex Bacon Thickburger features a charbroiled, 1/3 or 1/2 lb. 100% Black Angus beef patty, piled high with fire-roasted poblano peppers and onions, crisp lettuce, tomato, and thick-cut Applewood-smoked bacon, topped with melting pepper-Jack cheese and spicy Santa Fe sauce.
“The big, bold flavors and tastes from the Southwest have become popular all over the country and our ‘young, hungry guy’ customers have come to expect us to introduce innovative, new burgers on the menus at Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, so the Tex Mex Bacon Thickburger will make a lot of people very happy,” said Brad Haley, chief marketing officer for Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurants. “The big, 1/3 and 1/2 lb., charbroiled, 100% Black Angus beef patties and thick-cut Applewood-smoked bacon deliver on ‘Tex’ and the fire-roasted peppers and onions, pepper-Jack cheese and spicy sauce deliver on ‘Mex,’ so it really is the best of both worlds.”
To support this new menu item, Los Angeles-, New York- and Amsterdam-based agency 72andSunny has created a new ad campaign, titled “Borderball,” featuring Texan Elle Evans of Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” music video fame, and Latina cover model Alejandra Guilmant from Mexico City. Packed with so much southwestern taste, it’s almost impossible to decide whether the burger is more Texan or more Mexican. Viewers will see each star’s sand volleyball team, one representing Texas and one Mexico, compete on the border to settle the score. Flanked by a crowd of fans from both countries, each team wants to prove it’s more Tex or more Mex. The spot will premiere nationally on September 28.
“When our advertising agency, 72andSunny, was developing campaign ideas for the Tex Mex Bacon Thickburger, their research found that there really are volleyball games played across the U.S.-Mexico borderline and that became the inspiration for the ad,” adds Haley. “So, we dramatized those real-world events in a way that only Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s could. So, whichever side you end up rooting for, I think you’ll be a winner!”
The Tex Mex Bacon Thickburger is available as a 1/3 pound for $5.79 or a 1/2 pound for $6.99, any of which may be ordered in a combo meal with fries and a drink starting at $6.99. Prices may vary by location. For a limited time, visit www.carlsjr.com/coupons or www.hardees.com/coupons to download a coupon for $1 off any size Tex Mex Bacon Thickburger combo, valid at participating locations.
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About CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc.
CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. (“CKE”) is a privately held company headquartered in Carpinteria, Calif. Through its subsidiaries, CKE owns and licenses Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s® quick-service restaurants. CKE operates Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s as one brand under two names acknowledging the regional heritage of both banners. After opening its first restaurants in New York and New Jersey this spring and recent international openings in Canada, Colombia and Guatemala, CKE now has a total of 3,602 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 44 states and 36 foreign countries and U.S. territories. Known for its one-of-a-kind premium menu items such as 100 percent Black Angus Thickburgers®, Made from Scratch™ Biscuits, Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™ and Fresh Baked Buns, as well as an award-winning marketing approach, the Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s brand continues to deliver substantial and consistent growth in the U.S. and overseas. The Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s system is now 90 percent franchised, with international restaurants representing 18 percent of the system. For more information about CKE, please visit www.ckr.com or its brand sites at www.carlsjr.com and www.hardees.com.
