The CEO of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, Andy Puzder, is opening up about the brand’s famous commercials and the stories behind their famous models.
Puzder says the brand behind Hardee’s and Carl Jr. does an amazing job using models before they become famous. Puzder argues that their key to the success of fast food commercials is the ability to pick hot up and coming models and stars to be featured in the ads. But, it is important to point out that the CEO revealed what models did behind the scenes of the classic commercials.
Puzder tells the San Francisco Chronicle that it all started in 2005. At their advertising agency, J0rdin Mendelsohn came up with the idea to use Paris Hilton in a Hardee’s commercial. Saying it would make it very edgy. Since then, Hardee’s and Carl Jr. have used countless up and coming models and reality stars.
‘We have a history of picking these young women before they hit their peak,’ said Puzder of the brand’s casting eye.
‘We put Kate Upton in an ad a month before she got the cover for Sports Illustrated. At the time we picked her, we just said, “This is a beautiful woman.”‘
It is not all about young up and coming models either as even Heidi Klum appeared in one spot, despite the fact that, according to Puzder, the model ‘is no spring chicken.’
Almost all the ads feature the women eating the latest burgers being offered by the chain, with recent commercials starring Sports Illustrated stars Hannah Ferguson and Sara Sampaio.
Even some famous foodies have gotten in on the fun too, like Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi.
‘Padma actually put in one of her cookbooks how when she was modeling as a teenager, her parents moved to Los Angeles,’ said Puzder.
‘They couldn’t eat meat, right? But she would sneak out to a Carl’s Jr. and get a Western Bacon Cheeseburger, and then lick the barbecue sauce off her fingers when she got home, so her parents couldn’t tell.’ [via]
He also said that Kim Kardashian actually ate a salad in her Hardee’s commercial because she refused to eat a hamburger. ‘Kim really couldn’t eat the burgers. Luckily, we had a salad we were promoting, so we used Kim in the salad ad,’ said Puzder.
‘But if we had not been promoting a salad, we probably never would’ve done an ad with Kim, because she wasn’t good at eating the burger. She’s too tiny. She’s really little.’
Today, the CEO of Hardee’s will release a new ad with Sports Illustrated model Samantha Hoopes.
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