CARPINTERIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Former Philadelphia pro wide receiver Terrell Owens will soon share the love for Philly’s most famous food item, the iconic Philly Cheesesteak, in a new ad for the return of the Carl’s Jr.® and Hardee’s® Philly Cheesesteak Thickburger® – the chains’ tribute to, and twist on, Philadelphia’s classic cheesesteak sandwich. Premiering later this month, the humorous new spot titled “Philly Love” will follow Owens down memory lane as he lightheartedly reflects on his hot-and-cold relationship with the City of Brotherly Love. The Philly Cheesesteak Thickburger is available now at all Hardee’s locations and will be available at Carl’s Jr. locations starting tomorrow.
Back by popular demand, the meat-on-meat Philly Cheesesteak Thickburger features flavorful, thinly sliced steak, grilled onions and green peppers, melting Swiss and American cheeses and mayonnaise atop a charbroiled, 100 percent Black Angus Beef Thickburger patty, all served on a Fresh Baked Bun that’s baked fresh inside the restaurants every day. The meaty guest-favorite was last featured on the Carl’s Jr. menu in 2010 and at Hardee’s in 2008.
“We pioneered the idea of putting great American sandwiches on a burger – or using ‘meat as a condiment’ as Jay Leno riffed about the practice on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno – and the Philly Cheesesteak Thickburger has been our most popular creation,” said Brad Haley, chief marketing officer for Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. “This time around, the Philly Cheesesteak Thickburger is better than ever because we serve it on our new Fresh Baked Buns. The slightly sweeter, denser buns that are baked fresh in our restaurants really bring out the flavor of the charbroiled 100% Black Angus beef patty, the thinly sliced steak and the grilled onions and peppers.”
“And, who better to help us promote the best-ever Philly Cheesesteak Thickburger than former Philadelphia pro wide receiver Terrell Owens? Terrell had sort of a love-hate relationship with Philly fans and we make the most of that in the humorous ad campaign for the burger. I think the world will see that he has pretty good acting chops and doesn’t mind poking fun at himself.”
“I really liked the idea for the ad on this one,” said Owens. “It was a great way to tie into my career and it was fun to try my hand at acting.”
Created by Los Angeles- and Amsterdam-based creative agency 72andSunny, the new Philly Cheesesteak Thickburger commercial will begin airing nationally on Dec. 30 and will also be featured on the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s YouTube channels (www.youtube.com/carlsjr and www.youtube.com/hardees).
“When you have a great product like this, an in-your-face sports town like Philly, a controversial elite athlete like Terrell Owens, and an audience of young, hungry guys, our job is to get out of the way and let them do what they do best,” said Glenn Cole, chief creative officer at 72andSunny.
The Philly Cheesesteak Thickburger is available as a single, double or Six Dollar or 1/3lb. Thickburger starting at $3.69 for the single and can also be ordered as a combo meal with fries and a drink. Prices may vary by location.
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.
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. CKE has a total of 3,410 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and 30 foreign countries and U.S. territories. Known for its one-of-a-kind premium menu items such as 100 percent Black Angus Six Dollar 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. Since the end of Fiscal Year 2011 and through November 4, 2013, our most recently completed fiscal quarter, CKE’s annual system-wide sales were up 15% and the number of franchised and company-operated restaurants increased 8% worldwide, driven by 2% domestic growth and 53% growth outside the U.S. The Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s system is now 74% franchised, with international restaurants representing 16% 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.
