9 Nasty Truths About Your Favorite Foods
Famous Death Row Last Meals
Photo: YouTube
It's pretty obvious, ladies: The 30-second spot with Kim Kardashian lolling around in bed with a Carl's Jr. chicken salad isn't meant for us. And it's not really about that salad, either. This is full-on food porn, but let's be honest -- in fast-food ads these days, the porn is more like, well, porn. The Kardashian commercial has all the staples of the genre -- the smooth, sexy soundtrack, plenty of cleavage shots, and even an eye-opening close-up of glistening drops of dressing on her lips and falling down between her breasts. Hungry yet?
Another recent gem comes courtesy of Burger King, this time a print image that was released in Singapore of a woman seconds away from deep-throating a sandwich called the "seven-incher." (Burger King was also responsible for that bizarre spot advertising Sponge Bob Square Pants kids meals with scantily clad women dancing to "Baby Got Back.")
Not for women. Got it. But are men really buying what they're selling? Evidently, yes. The Kardashian ad comes courtesy of CKE Restaurants, the parent group of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's. The campaign actually started in 2005, with a spot featuring bathing-suit-clad Paris Hilton arching, crawling and posing her way around a wet Bentley to the tune of "I love Paris in the Summer." Oh yeah, and at some point therein, she eats a Carl's Jr. burger. (Seductively, of course.)
Beth Mansfield, CKE's director of public relations, says the ads are intended for one specific audience: the 18-34 demographic. "We call them 'Young Hungry Guys,'" she says. "They're the ones who eat with us most often. They use us basically as a replacement for their kitchen." Data from the National Restaurant Association does show a gender divide: Overall, men tend to dine out slightly more often than women: 5.1 times per week on average vs. 4.2 times per week.
"We're not out to offend anyone," Mansfield says. "We're out to entertain and get the attention of one very select audience. Do we want to create buzz? Do we want to make our ads memorable? Absolutely." The stakes are high. Fast-food sales in 2010 are expected to reach $164.8 billion, a 3 percent increase from 2009. Mansfield's coveted 'Young Hungry Guys' are important because they're repeat customers. "It's not just once or twice a month," she says. "It's several times a week. They are our biggest fans."
And they're also fans of T&A, judging from the success of CKE's commercials. "If you're watching a Laker's game, you might see other fast-food commercials on several times," Mansfield says. "And you might only see the Kim Kardashian ad on twice. But that's one that people don't usually TiVo through." And obviously, it's cheaper than pay-per-view.
SLIDESHOW: Tattoos That Go Way Beyond Your Average Tramp Stamp
Rodents Run Amok at Upstate New York Walmart
PHOTOS: Most And Least Christian States In America
America's 10 Highest-Paid CEOs of 2011 (and How They Earned It)
What Happened When Alex Kenjeev Paid His Student Loan in Cash
VIDEO, PHOTOS: Naked Face Eater Identified
What's a Realistic Retirement Age?
Carrie Underwood's Grunge Rock Past: 'I Was All About Pearl Jam'
Yale Student Killed In Crash Days After Graduating
I'm A Successful Entrepreneur But Might Get Deported
Farmers Hit the Jackpot in Kansas Oil Boom
America's 10 Best National Parks
Mary J. Blige, Charity Lawsuit: Singer's Foundation Sued for Failing to Repay $250K Loan
Safeway Worker Stops Man From Beating Pregnant Woman, Gets Suspended
LOOK: Inside Honduras' Deadly Prisons
Editorial: Despite shaky 48 fps Hobbit preview, high frame rates will take off
PHOTOS: Nicole Scherzinger Almost Reveals Too Much
Will You Be My Facebook Friend? No.
'Cannibal' Attack: Naked Man Shot Dead In Miami 'As He Chewed Victim's Face' (VIDEO, PICTURES)
Boy Locked In Filthy Coal Bunker Every Night For A Year
Eight-Year-Old Upset After Teacher Gave Her The Biggest 'Catastrophe' Award
VIDEO: 'The Guy Was Tearing Him To Pieces With His Mouth'
Blood Found In Missing Girl's Bedroom
NSFW PHOTOS: A Little Too Much Of A Rear View
PHOTOS: Americans Honor Troops On Memorial Day Weekend
MSNBC Host Says He's 'Uncomfortable' Calling Soldiers Killed In Action 'Heroes'
Another Deadly Northern Italian Earthquake
FREE FALLING
Police Arrest Parents Of Six Children Killed In Derby House Fire
60 Recipes For Pie Lovers
When Jenny Was Still From The Block
Travel + Leisure: PHOTOS: America's Worst-Dressed People
2-18-2010 @1:58PM Carol said... Haven't eaten at a Carl's Jr or Hardee's since the Paris Hilton ad aired.This merely confirms my decision.
Reply
2-18-2010 @1:58PM Jeremy said... Man, Carl's Jr. doesn't even EXIST in the state I live in. I guess it's ok I heard their food isn't that good.
Reply
2-18-2010 @2:08PM charlesharris53 said... i wish i was so loucky as to have her on my plate..
Reply
2-18-2010 @2:26PM Shawn said... Food is supposed to be nutritious, safe and hopefully reasonably priced. This add is tempting
boys and men (some probably married) to imagine fornication or adultery, according to God's Word
(Catholic and Christian); remember what Jesus said about even looking at a women with lustful thoughts? I have two teenage daughters and a teenage son and they will not be watching this ad, remember what Joshua said that you can serve whatever God you like, but for me and my family we will serve the Lord God. Anyway, with all the recent food scares of Salmonella, E. Coli, Listeria, etc...I am eating almost exclusively at home, making sure to keep the preparation area sanitary
and cooking meat at a high enough temperature and time to kill any bacteria. The one area of the food industry where I will invest my hard earned money is in food safety, ie. www.genethera.net
and with ethical companies who also care about what is right! Take care and please respect everyone's Constitutionally protected right to free speech! Thank you!!!
Reply
3-21-2010 @3:56AM xiaoqinlin said... our price:
CA POLO EDHARDY GUCCI T-SHIRT $15;
TRUE RELIGION EVISU G-STAR COOGI JEAN $36;
AIR MAX NIKE SHOX JORDAN JORDAN FUNSHION JORDAN RING SHOES $35;
http://e2to.com/articleshow.asp?articleid=40466
GUCCI COACH shoes DG shoes $33
coach chanel gucci LV handbags $32;
http://e2to.com/articleshow.asp?articleid=22981
edhardy New Era POLO cap $15;
coach okely prada nike DG Sunglass $16;
http://www.e2to.com
lhl;hlkgujgkj
Reply
4-13-2010 @1:32PM PenelopeD said... I must disagree with the opening of this article. As a mid-aged professional woman, I hardly find this commercial offensive in any way. Kim Kardashian was a great tool that captured my attention, entertained, and helped produce a memorable advertisement for Carl's Jr. The visual presentation was provocative, however beneficial for creating buzz.
Reply