Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s® Toast Arrival of New Jim Beam® Bourbon Burger

International supermodel and TV star Heidi Klum is stunning in The Graduate-inspired ad

The new Jim Beam Bourbon Burger, available at Carl's Jr. and Hardee's this week, features a rich and tangy sauce flavored with Jim Beam bourbon. (Photo: Business Wire)

CARPINTERIA, Calif.--()--In yet another fast food first, Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s® will begin selling burgers with the distinctive taste of a branded, distilled spirit when they introduce the new Jim Beam® Bourbon Burger this week. A mature burger for mature tastes, the Jim Beam Bourbon Burger features rich and tangy sauce flavored with Jim Beam bourbon – the world’s No. 1-selling bourbon – crispy onion straws, two strips of bacon, pepper-Jack cheese, lettuce and tomato, all atop a charbroiled beef patty and served on a sesame seed bun. The Jim Beam Bourbon Burger is available now at all Hardee’s restaurants and at all Carl’s Jr. locations starting tomorrow.

“Higher-end restaurants have long served menu items flavored with branded spirits but, until now, they had yet to find their way onto fast food menus and we considered it our mission to change that,” said Brad Haley, chief marketing officer for Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. “The sweet, smoky flavors of Jim Beam bourbon go really well with the great taste of a charbroiled burger, and the folks at Jim Beam were just as excited about the pairing as we were. While there is no residual alcohol in the sauce, that wonderful bourbon taste remains and is enhanced by the smoky flavors of bacon, the spice of pepper-Jack cheese, the salty-crunch of crispy onion straws, and fresh lettuce and tomato. And, who better to help us promote this burger for grown-up tastes than the incomparable Heidi Klum?”

The Jim Beam Bourbon Burger is available as an entrée for $3.59 or as a combo meal with fries and a drink for $6.09 at Carl’s Jr. and $5.59 at Hardee’s. Prices may vary by location.

Supermodel Heidi Klum takes on the iconic role of Mrs. Robinson in the new commercial for the Jim Beam Bourbon Burger, inspired by the classic coming-of-age movie The Graduate. Created by Los Angeles- and Amsterdam-based creative agency 72andSunny, the commercial, titled “Mrs. Robinson,” depicts Heidi tempting a naive younger man with this indulgent burger. The commercial will begin airing nationally on March 25.

“For Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, paying homage to this iconic movie moment is an appropriately fun and irreverent way to introduce the mature taste of bourbon to hungry guys,” said Glenn Cole, founding partner and CCO at 72andSunny. "In casting the new Mrs. Robinson, we hoped to find someone with as much savvy, sophistication and sex appeal as the original Mrs. Robinson. In Heidi Klum, we got a wildly successful producer, businesswoman, TV host and one of the most iconic supermodels of all time. Not a bad day at the office."

“The Bourbon Burger is no ordinary burger. It was truly the star of this commercial and I was proud to play the supporting role,” said Klum. “I’m not sure who had more touch-ups – me with the hair and lip gloss or the Bourbon Burger with the readjusting of the lettuce, spritzing of the tomatoes and fluffing of the bun.”

Exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Heidi on the set of the Jim Beam Bourbon Burger commercial shoot can be viewed on the brands’ YouTube channels (www.youtube.com/carlsjr and www.youtube.com/hardees). The :30 commercial will be available online later this month.

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 product news.

CKE Restaurants, Inc.

CKE Restaurants, Inc. is a privately held company headquartered in Carpinteria, Calif. As of the end of fiscal 2013, the Company, through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,318 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and 28 foreign countries and U.S. territories worldwide, including 1,369 Carl's Jr. restaurants and 1,944 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.

About Beam Inc.

As one of the world’s leading premium spirits companies, Beam is Crafting the Spirits that Stir the World. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company’s brands, including Jim Beam Bourbon, Maker's Mark Bourbon, Sauza Tequila, Pinnacle Vodka, Canadian Club Whisky, Courvoisier Cognac, Teacher's Scotch Whisky, Skinnygirl Cocktails, Cruzan Rum, Hornitos Tequila, Knob Creek Bourbon, Laphroaig Scotch Whisky, Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey, Larios Gin, Whisky DYC and DeKuyper Cordials. Beam is focused on delivering superior performance with its unique combination of scale with agility and a strategy of Creating Famous Brands, Building Winning Markets and Fueling Our Growth. Beam and its 3,400 passionate associates worldwide generated 2012 sales of $2.5 billion (excluding excise taxes), volume of 38 million 9-liter equivalent cases and some of the industry’s fastest-growing innovations.

Headquartered in Deerfield, Ill., Beam is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BEAM and is included in the S&P 500 Index and the MSCI World Index. For more information on Beam, its brands and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamglobal.com and www.drinksmart.com.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Contacts

Carl’s Jr.
Beth Mansfield
805-745-7741
bmansfield@ckr.com
or
Hardee’s
Jenna Petroff
314-259-6277
jpetroff@ckr.com

Release Summary

Carl's Jr. and Hardee's offer a mature burger for mature tastes with the new Jim Beam Bourbon Burger, becoming the first fast-food chains to partner with a distilled spirits brand.

Contacts

Carl’s Jr.
Beth Mansfield
805-745-7741
bmansfield@ckr.com
or
Hardee’s
Jenna Petroff
314-259-6277
jpetroff@ckr.com