We were mighty surprised Monday to hear that Carl's Jr. and its brother restaurant, Hardee's, were going the healthy route with a new turkey burger under 500 calories — but far less shocked to hear about its commercial campaign featuring a scantily clad Miss Turkey in a bikini. After all, she'd only be following in the footsteps of Paris Hilton, Padma Lakshmi, Audrina Patridge, and Kim Kardashian.
Thankfully, there's no silly statement from Miss Turkey about growing up with fond Carl's Jr. memories. The commercial does have a twist, however: there's even more burger than meets the eye. Check out the spot when you read more.
Hardee's and Carl's Jr. are better known for their This Is Why You're Fat-esque monstrosities, but the chains' parent company, CKE Restaurants, has begun trending the other way. Today, the two chains will become the first fast-food establishments to introduce a turkey burger as a permanent menu item.
Each of the four new Charbroiled Turkey Burgers will clock in at under 500 calories — as opposed to, say, Carl's Jr.'s Double Six Dollar Burger, which tallies up to be 1,522 calories and 110 grams of fat. What's more, the product launch will include a marketing campaign with Men's Health magazine and the bestselling book series Eat This, Not That — as well as advertisements featuring the former Miss Turkey in a bikini.
It would seem there's no such thing as moderation in fast food. These days, it's either all (see: the KFC Double Down and BK Stuffed Steakhouse) or next to nothing (Subway's low-fat egg white breakfast sandwiches). Do you agree?
