CARPINTERIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Proving, once again, that two meats are better than one, Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s® are unleashing the Memphis BBQ Burger, a new “meat-on-meat” burger pairing saucy pulled pork with a classic charbroiled beef patty to create a match made in BBQ heaven.
Smoked, pulled pork and a charbroiled beef patty come together in BBQ bliss with crispy onion strings, melting American cheese and Memphis-style BBQ sauce atop a sesame seed bun. The Memphis BBQ Burger is available now at all Hardee’s restaurants and at all Carl’s Jr. restaurants starting tomorrow.
“Given our success over the years combining famous American sandwiches with charbroiled burgers, we wanted to try to marry the great taste of pulled pork with a cheeseburger and the result was delicious,” said Brad Haley, chief marketing officer for Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. “After a few attempts to dial-in the ingredients, the Memphis BBQ Burger was born. It not only has the great tastes of succulent, pulled pork on a charbroiled cheeseburger, but we top it off with Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce and crispy onion strings. It might just be our best ‘meat-on-meat’ burger yet.
“Jay Leno first joked that we were using ‘meat as a condiment for other meat’ in a 2006 monologue on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to describe Carl’s Jr. Pastrami Burger,” added Haley. “Since then, we’ve introduced several meat-on-meat burgers, including the Philly Cheesesteak Burger, the Prime Rib Burger, and the French Dip Thickburger at Hardee’s and/or Carl’s Jr. Following in those delicious footsteps, young, hungry guys and gals will surely love the new Memphis BBQ Burger just as much.”
The Memphis BBQ Burger starts at $3.79 and can also be ordered as a combo meal with fries and a drink. Prices may vary by location.
The launch of the Memphis BBQ Burger will be supported with an ad campaign created by Los Angeles- and Amsterdam-based creative agency 72andSunny. A new commercial, titled “BBQ’s Best Pair,” takes place at a bustling Southern BBQ Festival, where a beautiful blonde (“Attack of the Show” host and model Sara Underwood) and a beautiful brunette (actress and model Emily Ratajkowski) face off over a BBQ pit for room to grill their goods – burgers and pulled pork, respectively. Tensions are high as they jockey for position on the blazing grill, when the two have an epiphany: BBQ pulled pork and charbroiled cheeseburgers are the perfect pairing. The spot was directed by Chris Applebaum, known for making music videos and ads, including the brands’ iconic spots starring Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, Padma Lakshmi and, most recently, Kate Upton.
The :30 version of “BBQs Best Pair” will be posted to the brands’ YouTube channels (www.youtube.com/carlsjr and www.youtube.com/hardees) later this week and will start airing nationally on Aug. 27. Additionally, a :60 director’s cut, available online only, will be posted later this month along with behind-the-scenes video of the shoot.
The :30 spot will feature the hashtag #meatembrace. Twitter followers are encouraged to use the hashtag along with brand handles @CarlsJr and @Hardees. Stay tuned to Facebook (www.facebook.com/carlsjr and www.facebook.com/hardees) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/carlsjr and www.twitter.com/hardees) for the latest on the Memphis BBQ Burger.
About Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s
CKE Restaurants, Inc. is a privately held company headquartered in Carpinteria, Calif. As of the end of Q1 fiscal 2013, the Company, through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,263 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and in 25 countries, including 1,322 Carl's Jr. restaurants and 1,932 Hardee's restaurants. For more information about CKE Restaurants, please visit www.ckr.com or its brand sites at www.carlsjr.com and www.hardees.com.
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