Fuggedaboudit: Carl's Jr. Stops Mob Ad Campaign

by Jennifer Lawinski, Posted Nov 11th 2009 @ 1:00PM

Fast-food chain Carl's Jr. has stopped the ad campaign for its Chicken Parmesan Sandwich after Italian-American groups complained about the mafia-themed commercials.

The California Italian-American Task Force and the National Italian-American Federation praised Carl's Jr.'s parent company CKE for its decision not to buy more TV slots for the ads, which feature mobster and garbage man characters that critics said showed negative Italian-American stereotypes, Nation's Restaurant News reports.

In the ad, a man sits in his car eating the Carl's Jr. Chicken Parmesan Sandwich as marinara sauce drips out of his mouth and down his shirt. When two mafia goons approach the car, the man plays dead. Fooled by the sauce dotting his shirt like blood, they leave him alive assuming someone else killed him before they arrived.

"NIAF was pleased to see the positive steps taken by Carl's Jr. Restaurant to remove negative, inaccurate and unfair characterizations in their recent commercial advertisements," Jeff Capaccio, the group's regional vice president for the Far West, told the paper. "These advertisements only fuel further incorrect assumptions about an entire ethnic group."

Controversy is nothing new for Carl's Jr. Earlier this year, the company launched a racy ad featuring Padma Lakshmi inhaling a Western Bacon Thickburger.

Beth Mansfield, director of public relations for CKE told Slashfood that the company, which is also the parent company of Hardee's, "adopts a creative approach" to its advertising. "It is intended to communicate the core message of our premium-quality food to our target audience of 'young, hungry guys.' We do not aim to exclude or offend any other groups with our efforts, but merely to appeal to and amuse a very specific audience. We understand that not everyone may view our advertising the same way, so we respect all views and welcome comments and feedback."

The company decided not to extend the media run for the Parmesan Chicken Sandwich, but the campaign formally ended on Nov. 8, although the commercials may still make appearances "infrequently in limited markets," Mansfield said.

But it's still offering $1 off coupons on its Web site.

After the Chicken Parmesan campaign, Carl's Jr. and Hardee's will be taking another stab at McDonalds, Mansfield told Slashfood.

Its next ad campaign for Carl's Jr.'s Big Carl burger and Hardee's Big Hardee burger will target the McDonald's Big Mac in "round three of the Premium Burger Wars," which Mansfield said the company calls "McSmack."

"The direct comparison worked so well and we got such a great response from them, that's what we're looking at doing again," she told Slashfood. "We just keep kicking the shins of that 800 pound gorilla."

Filed Under: Business, Television/Film, Food News, Fast Food
Tags: carls jr, carls jr chicken parmesan sandwich, CarlsJr, CarlsJrChickenParmesanSandwich, tv commercials, TvCommercials

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Reader comments (Page 5 of 10)

11-11-2009 @6:09PM Fjrizzu said... No Doug, I don't see and it isn't funny. You perpetuate a stereotype with your stupid remark, just like the jerk who said that the restaurant chain was worried about sleeping with the fishes. Why don't we have commercials that show all African -American people are criminals? How about ones that shows all Jewish people as dishonest, all Latino people as lazy? Would that be OK? It's a moot point because none of those would ever happen. People who produce commercials would never even think of doing that, but Italian - Americans are fair game, an easy target and when we say something, stand up for ourselves, people say we have to get a grip or that our stereotype is based in truth. One poster said exactly that, that our stereotype as criminals is based in truth so it's no big deal. More of a true stereotype of Italians and Italian - Americans is the one of the artists, scholars, inventors, creative people of every stripe, who have contributed to the culture of the world for centuries. More typical of the Italian- American stereotype is that of patriot since the time of the Revolutionary War, serving with honor and distinction. In fact, during World War II, more Italian - Americans served in the Armed Forces of the United States than any other ethnic group in the country. But we never hear of those stereotypical Italian -Americans, only the Tony Sopranos.
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11-11-2009 @6:14PM jenn said... geeze...people will whine and cry about anything now i swear...
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11-11-2009 @6:18PM Glenn said... Get over it. It is just an ad. Get a life and worry about something important.
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11-11-2009 @6:20PM Ali said... I REALLLLLLLY dont see any problem with this commercial.
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11-11-2009 @6:22PM nytony1960 said... ARE YOU KIDDING ME, THE ITALIANS NEVER WASTED ANY TIME BY CALLING PEOPLE RACIST AND STEREOTYPE NAMES.
NO DEAL WITH IT!!!
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11-11-2009 @6:25PM Laurie said... It didn't really say that any Italians complained, but that Italian-American "groups" complained. Then it mentioned the "California Italian-American Task Force and the National Italian-American Federation." I'm Italian, and I never heard of these groups, and I wasn't the least bit offended by the commercial. People, or groups, I guess, need to lighten up.
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11-11-2009 @7:32PM David said... Oh GOD! More PC Bullsh*t! This sensativity crap is so out of control in America....for those offended by the ad.....GET A LIFE!!
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11-11-2009 @6:30PM Merrily said... Carl's Jr. is the King of silly ads. Eating a 4" burger isn't PC either. It is just sickening to watch a person chomp down into that much bad food. Why hasn't Carl's Jr. been cited before for BAD TASTE?
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11-11-2009 @6:38PM JohnJ said... I'll take this kind of nonsense seriously when a group representing "American while males" protests any and all
commercials where some white sage calm mature woman ridicules an impulsive short-sighted childlike white male.

Then, I know we'll have "equality".
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11-11-2009 @6:39PM Andy the Scot said... Great Commercial - funny and the sandwich looks great. Those opposed - Get a life!
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11-11-2009 @6:57PM lizzy said... I agree with all of you that say it's just a funny joke. However, I do think that if it was any other nationality or ethnic group, people would be in an uproar. For some reason it's ok to be politically correct for some groups of people, and not ok for other groups.
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11-11-2009 @6:45PM Herald7 said... I'm glad they pulled it. The mafia thing is so old and cliche at this point. It stinks having your entire culture stereotyped as criminals. Especially when other stereotypes are absolutely forbidden in our society (and rightfully so).

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11-11-2009 @6:46PM cynthia said... OMG this political correctness is getting insane! Maybe they should pull all adds for cosmetics or hair products that portray women as being concerned with what they look like! Or beer and coke adds showing young people partying, what a negative stereotype!I thought the mafia add was funny.
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11-11-2009 @6:46PM cgog59 said... As an Italian American high school counselor, I never watched the Sapranos and did have a problem with it. I found the Godfather to be a sad, albeit accurate depiction of certain elements of society that are criminals and should be regarded as such, not as representative of a group of people who share the same ethnic background. Yes, stereotypes exist for a reason - so that the ignorant can continue to have it a place to point to when they think they have validity to reinforce their bigotry. Our children don't need to be exposed to further racist images, be they against African Americans, Muslim Americans or Italian Americans in commercials or elsewhere. They need to see that every once in a while, adults insist on doing the right thing, even when it is not the popular thing. Challenging the media is not easy and I applaud the NIAF for taking a stand. If more people and the groups that represent them would do the same when they see something that promotes racism under the guise of humor, we might see our young people follow this positive role modeling as well. And for those who have never travelled to Italy, the Italians despise the role crime plays in their communities as much as we do in ours, no matter what name those who commit them use.
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11-11-2009 @6:46PM Derek said... Would that commercial made any sense if you use Indian actors? I think not, get a grip America. The Harlem Globetrotters are black, the Mafia is Italian, and Cinco De Mayo is for Latinos. Somethings aren't stereotypes that demean, they are facts, sadly America would rather live a lie or ignore basics to keep the integrity of political correctness intact.
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11-11-2009 @9:55PM Mark said... While this is a tempesta in a chianti bottle, did anybody notice the second lead that AOL slapped on the tease for this? "Insults a whole ETHIC group" Can't you people read your own copy? Stop hoping spell cjeck will make up for your lazy "editors"
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11-11-2009 @6:51PM sue gonzalez said... I agree with everyone who says that we have to be DONE with political correctness. However, until we ALL agree that there will be NO group that will be protected, then, I agree with my fellow Italian Americans, this is a tasteless, stupid ad, and needed to be pulled. Everyone that says to "get a grip and get over it" hasn't had to answer the question, or deflect the intimation regarding "Is your family connected?" And to answer MarvallO3, no, not all Italians are in the Mafia. It may have started with them, but now there is the Black Mafia, the Irish Mafia, the Jewish Mafia, you name it. Gangsters are Gangsters, no matter their origens. But Italians have added so much more to this country than gangs, I'm sick of being associated with the negative stereotypes. Again, if the thought police would realize that WE NOTICE that they are fine with insulting Europeans, not just the Italians but all other peoples from European countries are free game, while peoples from other continents are coddled and protected, then maybe the Italians wouldn't be so thin-skinned, eh? What's tomato sauce for the goose should be tomato sauce for the gander, capeeshe?
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11-11-2009 @6:59PM porcuspigus123 said... mb the restaurants should spend the money that goes to for publicity,on making real food and not trash.
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11-11-2009 @7:05PM David said... I was just commenting the other night to my wife that if it were any other ethnic group, they would be whining about these ads. Just goes to show, even the Italians have lost their sense of humor. These ads were funny - yes, funny like a clown. Guess CJs will just have to come up with some funny pokes at the Danish. We can still take a joke.
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