GOOD FOR THEM. There's a new sheriff at Carl's Jr/Hardee's and it's fictional character Carl Hardee Sr. I like it. It's about time.
Here's the PR discription:
Folksy and charming, Carl Hardee Sr. is a no-nonsense kind of guy who doesn’t care much for provocative ads featuring bikini-clad women. He aims to put the focus on “food, not boobs,” with a new marketing strategy. That’s quite a departure for the Carl’s Jr and Hardees burger chains, where millennial playboy Carl Hardee Jr. has been running the place like a baller, using exposed skin and double entendres to grab consumers’ attention. Looks like the party’s over, dude. This is the fictional scenario, with a cheeky nod to real life, for a new campaign launching today and kicking off a major brand overhaul for the fast-food restaurants. It also introduces the first-ever spokesman for the CKE-owned Carl’s Jr and Hardees sister chains—the logically named Carl Hardee Sr. (an amalgam of actual founders Carl Karcher and Wilbur Hardee). Played by actor-musician Charles Esten from the soapy series Nashville, the weathered and bearded character takes control of the company from his wayward son in the opening moments of the new spot. Flanked by movers who quickly get to work tearing down the displays of branded hedonism, Senior quickly gets the attention of his out-of-control progeny and his long-suffering employees.  .Oh yeah. It's back to the basics: meat and fire.