Carl's Jr. & Hardee's Push 'Machines Shouldn't Make It,' Hand-Breaded Chicken Campaign
Carl's Jr. and Hardee's have launched the Hand-Breaded Chicken Fillet Sandwich, a new menu item that is battered and breaded by-hand. This new addition fits in with the trend to make fast-food more upscale and appeal to a wider consumer base. Brad Haley, chief marketing officer for Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s said, "If you notice a pattern here, it’s because we have been trying to raise the food-quality levels in the fast food industry for a number of years now, and one of the main ways we do that at Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s is by making food the old-fashioned way... So, the Hand-Breaded Chicken Fillet Sandwich is certain to be a craveable new menu item in that fine tradition.”
Although it's a bit of a stretch to equate hand-breading with making food the old-fashioned way, at least the new sandwich isn't pre-made. And hand-breaded doesn't mean healthy or high-quality. See the nutrition facts and ingredient list below for reference.
To emphasize the hand-made factor, the fast food company has created TV spots centered around the idea of "If Machines Can't Eat It, Machines Shouldn't Make It!" The commercials feature a robot unsuccessfully trying to eat the chicken sandwich. But, the robot doesn't have a mouth, so he gets very sad and angry.
The TV spots are clever, but it is worth remembering that just because a robot isn't making your food, it doesn't mean that everything humans make is exactly fit for consumption either.
Watch the ad campaign below.
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First Posted: 06/27/11 06:39 PM ET Updated: 08/27/11 06:12 AM ET