Sultry French maids go on tour for Hardee's

Just when relations between France and the U.S. were showing signs of improvement, along comes this promotional campaign for the new Hardee's French Dip Thickburger. If a cross-country tour by four "Hardee's French Maids" (slogan: "French Me") doesn't rub France the wrong way, Hardee's is also offering instruction in French pick-up lines.

—Posted by Mark Dolliver

Published on July 16, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (4)
Filed under Dolliver, Food and drink, Hardee's, Restaurants

Hardee's commercials dig even deeper hole

We already wrote about Hardee's new Biscuit Holes ads, where the words "hole" and "balls" get repeated a lot, but missed this particular spot, where people just come out and say "A-hole" over and over. In a taste test, regular donut holes are marked A, and Biscuit Holes are marked B. People side with the B-holes because "the A-hole seems kind of small," "the A-hole is nasty" and "the A-hole tastes funny." The campaign is by Mendelsohn Zien, which also did the Paris, Padma and Audrina burger spots.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on June 30, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (8)
Filed under Food and drink, Hardee's, Mendelsohn Zien, Nudd, Restaurants

What 'hole dreamed up these Hardee's ads?

Hardee's takes a seat on the innuendo bus with the campaign for its new Biscuit Holes menu item. In the video above, a guy solicits other names for the product, which they might as well call Groaners, a term that applies to the suggestions they got. "Puffy Nuts"? Really? "Yayholes" sounds like New England slang for out-of-towners. The ad below shows a fornlorn Biscuit Hole wandering aimlessly and asking various objects, "Are you my hole?" It eventually reunites with its fellow Holes and feels happy, which is more than can be said for the viewer.

—Posted by David Kiefaber

Published on June 26, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (3)
Filed under Food and drink, Hardee's, Kiefaber, Restaurants

Padma's hamburger ad redefines food porn

Well, here it is: the new Padma Lakshmi commercial for Hardee's/Carl's Jr. that we mentioned back in February, when it was being filmed. It certainly doesn't skimp on the sexual imagery, as the Top Chef beauty opens wide (really wide) to take her first bite of the Western-bacon monstrosity. Plopped down on an apartment building's front steps, she hikes up her skimpy dress and licks the burger all over until, in the heat of the moment, it promptly drips its sauce on her lower leg. Outside of the car wash, it doesn't get more food porn-y than this. Paris Hilton, please pack your knives and go. Via The Food Section. UPDATE: We've replaced the 30-second spot with the even-saucier 60-second version above.

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on March 26, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (19)
Filed under Carl's Jr., Celebrity endorsements, Hardee's, Nudd, Restaurants

Padma Lakshmi seduces a Hardee's burger

She may not get all sudsy with a Bentley, but it looks like Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi will make her feelings for Hardee's hamburgers clear in an upcoming TV commercial for the brand. "I think it's a beautiful love song to food," Lakshmi tells People.com about the commercial, shot this week, for Hardee's Bacon Western Thickburger. "I think eating in itself is an act of great sensuality, so all you have to do is point the camera in the right direction." People.com says Chris Applebaum is the guy who'll be doing the pointing. He's the same dude who directed the infamous 2005 Hardee's/Carl's Jr. ad that showed a multitasking Paris Hilton washing a Bentley while devouring a burger. The (female) PR person who alerted us to the People.com story had this to say about the Lakshmi shoot: "I was actually on set and I gotta tell you she was totally hot and a real class act. Can really put down a burger, too."

—Posted by Tim Nudd

Published on February 26, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (8)
Filed under Celebrity endorsements, Hardee's, Nudd, Restaurants