Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s get design makeover—fresh off MyPillow PR bump

Days after putting a happy face on the FBI’s seizure of MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell’s cellphone, Hardee’s and sister restaurant chain Carl’s Jr. have other reasons to smile. The fast-food chains, owned by privately held CKE Restaurants, today are announcing a design makeover that its executives say matches the “drippy, messy and indulgent” food they serve. Headlining the change is a tweak to the chains’ smiling “Happy Star” logo, which is getting a “flavor trail” that is meant to evoke elements that set the chains' food apart, such as flames for its charbroiled burgers and the crisp of its hand-breaded chicken. The new visual brand identity was created for the chains by Design Bridge. See all of Ad Age's 2023 Agency A-List winners here The change was months in the making and accompanies newly released advertising that uses newscasters in a lighthearted sendup of the country’s addiction to TV news. It all happens to debut only days after a Mankato, Minnesota Hardee’s was thrust into real headlines. 'A pretty strong order' On Sept. 14, Lindell, the outspoken MyPillow CEO, Donald Trump ally and prominent election denier, said federal agents seized his cellphone and questioned him for about 15 minutes as he proceeded through the drive-thru of the Mankato Hardee’s. The agents reportedly questioned Lindell about his contacts with Tina Peters, the Mesa County, Colorado clerk who’s been indicted for her role in allegedly copying data from the county’s election systems in an attempt to push discredited theories that the 2020 presidential election was tainted by fraud. Hardee’s gently spoofed the incident on its Twitter account. Now that you know we exist... you should really try our pillowy biscuits.— Hardee’s (@Hardees) September 14, 2022 If you still have a phone, get a free breakfast biscuit in our app for My Rewards members: https://t.co/rk896CKmpc https://t.co/loaIAFVViS— Hardee’s (@Hardees) September 14, 2022 “We tend to stay out of political conversations,” Ben Miller, CKE’s VP, brand and creative strategy, said in an interview. “This was just one of those where we were able to bring ourselves in on the joke. By being in on the joke and being a bit self-aware of the situation, we were able to skirt some of the political elements of the conversation.” The tweets combined for some 170,000 likes and 44,000 retweets as of Tuesday and appear to have threaded the needle on a wildly contentious topic. Miller noted that the tweets drew attention from across the political spectrum. The anti-Trump Lincoln Project took notice, for instance. This is now a Hardee's stan account.— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) September 14, 2022 But also Lindell on his website acknowledged the tweet was funny and did an impromptu Hardee’s promo. Ad Age Marketer’s Brief podcast Listen here or subscribe via Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music or Audible Click here “We managed to become one of the few places in the country right now that was sitting across both sides of the political spectrum,” Miller said. Sales at Hardee’s in the meantime saw a “measurable increase,” he said. Lindell said he stopped at Hardee’s following a hunting trip and ordered a Mushroom Swiss Thickburger and a chocolate shake. “That’s a pretty strong order,” Miller remarked. $500 million investment CKE’s brand identity changes come months after it announced a $500 million co-investment with franchisees to modernize its store base and technology over the next four to six years. More than 500 restaurant locations across 20 markets are expected to be updated by the end of the year. The new logo, design and brand identity are part of that plan, said Miller. In making the investment announcement in May, Matthew Walls, chief global development officer for CKE, acknowledged investments in the chains' establishments had not kept up with its progress in food. “CKE is known for having a finger on the pulse of what customers crave and we have continued to innovate our menus to lean into that, but we are the first to admit that our restaurants haven't kept up,” Walls said in a press release. “Elevating two brands that are due for much-needed upgrades is no small feat, but one that our team is passionate about.” CKE has long been convinced its food is “best-in-class,” including items such as signature scratch-made biscuits at Hardee’s and unique flavor combinations of Carl’s Jr.’s sandwiches and burgers, Miller said. The company has maintained the brands regionally after Carl’s parent CKE acquired Hardee’s in 1997, with Carl’s Jr. operating in Western states with Hardee’s a stronghold in the Midwest and Southeast. The redesigned Happy Star “gives the logo some ownable equity” by leading diners to the foods they crave, Miller said. He said Design Bridge “realized [the star] was one of those elements that has been a part of both brand's history for decades but never really had a purpose other than being there. He really is the guiding star to the brand, and that was a good unlock for us.” Product packaging, employee uniforms, and interior designs are also getting new looks behind a new color palette also inspired by its food—charbroil black, American cheese yellow, flame red, and biscuit cream—and typography inspired by the wedges of the Happy Star. The changes come with new advertising that’s “unabashedly fun,” said Miller. New ads from 72andSunny feature goofy newscasters on the “Bite This Network.” Ads have begun running on regional TV, radio and on digital platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, Kargo, and Yahoo. “People are paying a lot of attention to the news these days and this our way to seed into that conversation,” Miller said. Including news that might happen at a Hardee's drive-thru.

Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s get design makeover—fresh off MyPillow PR bump

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