Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s introduce an amazing burger fit for a superhero. The Amazing Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger is available now at all Hardee’s restaurants and debuts at Carl’s Jr. locations tomorrow. The latest premium burger offering is just one of the restaurants’ plethora of promotional tie-ins with Columbia Pictures’ release of The Amazing Spider-Man, in theaters July 3.
The ultimate in comfort food, the Amazing Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger features a charbroiled beef patty, bacon, American cheese, Swiss cheese and mayo, all on grilled bread. Prices start at $3.29 and may vary by location.
“The Amazing Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger and The Amazing Spider-Man film promotion bring together two beloved American institutions: burgers and superheroes,” said Brad Haley, chief marketing officer for CKE Restaurants, parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. “And, we know our loyal ‘young hungry guy’ fans are excited about both of them. A classic grilled cheese sandwich with a bacon burger in the middle of it definitely satisfies the definition of ‘amazing.’”
“Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s teamed with Columbia Pictures for the first Spider-Man film in 2002, so this year’s re-boot of the Spider-Man series offered a great opportunity for us to again work with America’s favorite hero,” added Haley. “Like a lot of guys, I grew up reading Spider-Man comics, watching Spider-Man cartoons and eating a lot of burgers, so I’m pretty excited to see the new film, after downing the Amazing Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger, myself.”
The Amazing Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger will be promoted through The Amazing Spider-Man-themed commercials created by the Los Angeles- and Amsterdam-based creative agency 72andSunny, as well as radio ads featuring Spider-Man creator and comic book legend Stan Lee. The first TV commercial, titled Sweet Costume, features Spider-Man dropping in on a group of costumed Spider-Man enthusiasts waiting in line at the movie’s premiere. The fans think he’s just another guy in a costume until he responds to a cry for help but isn’t willing to leave his Amazing Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger behind. The spot can be viewed on the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s YouTube channels (www.youtube.com/carlsjr and www.youtube.com/hardees). An additional video and behind-the-scenes content featuring Stan Lee, as well as his radio spot, will be available via the YouTube channels in June.
A second TV ad, titled Spider-Man Eats Free, will launch in late June to support the July 4th promotion for a free Amazing Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger to any guest who comes to a Carl’s Jr. or Hardee’s restaurant dressed as Spider-Man. Timed just one day after the movie’s release and on America’s birthday, the July 4th event allows fans to show their true colors and be rewarded for their creative efforts. The ad features a bevy of costumed fans celebrating with their free Amazing Grilled Cheese Bacon Burgers. Rules and restrictions will apply.
Amazing in-store merchandising at all U.S. Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurants will include a larger-than-life cutout image of Spider-Man. The 6-foot Spidey cutout includes a unique marker image fans can scan with their smart phones using The Amazing Spider-Man Augmented Reality app to activate interactive, 3D Spider-Man animations and unlock achievements. Guests can download Sony’s free app from the App Store or get it on Google Play .
A six-city tour, dubbed “The Amazing Spider-Man Web-tacular at Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s,” will be held in June, with tour stops at Carl’s Jr. restaurants in Los Angeles, Sacramento and Houston, and Hardee’s restaurants in St. Louis, Indianapolis and Atlanta. Each tour stop will include a giant spider web installation on the outside of the restaurant, photo ops and prizes, as well as exclusive Sony PlayStation game kiosks to preview and play the yet-to-be-released Activision video game.
In conjunction with Dr PepperandPlayStation, Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s will offer guests The Amazing Spider-Man Video Game Instant-Win cup promotion, with a total prize pool valued at more than $7 million, including PlayStation PS3™ consoles and the upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man video game from Activision. A unique code on each cup allows guests to enter via text or online at www.carlsjr.com/theamazingspiderman or www.hardees.com/theamazingspiderman, where official rules and details can also be found. Each 40-ounce collectors’ cup includes a peel-and-win component for free or discounted food items.
Spider-Man-themed premiums will also be offered as part of any Cool Kids Combo at Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s.
Get caught up on the web for the latest details on the Amazing Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger, “The Amazing Spider-Man Web-tacular” tour, the “Spider-Man Eats Free” offer on July 4 and additional promotional offers by visiting Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s on Facebook (www.facebook.com/carlsjr and www.facebook.com/hardees), Twitter (www.twitter.com/carlsjr and www.twitter.com/hardees) and the brands’ Amazing Spider-Man promo pages (www.carlsjr.com/theamazingspiderman and www.hardees.com/theamazingspiderman).
