Carls Jr Just Announced Some 'Big Energy' Holiday Deals
Carl's Jr has had some memorable advertising ploys over the years, but not all of them have had the right energy for the holiday season. Who could forget the brand's too-hot-for-TV Paris Hilton ads of the early aughts showing Ms. Hilton writhing around in a bathing suit while washing a car and chowing down on a burger (via Youtube)? Along similar lines, in 2010, the company made a stir by showing Kim Kardashian and her ample assets rolling around a bed eating a salad with her fingers (according to Carl's Jr's camp because Kim K was bad at eating the burger) before showing her bare form popping down into a bubble bath (per Youtube and Entertainment Tonight).
According to Marketing Magazine, Carl's Jr has since stepped away from its "burgers and bikinis strategy," starting in 2018. CEO Jason Marker explained, "The truth is over time it became less successful commercially as an advertising strategy, secondly it became less appropriate." That might be especially true for celebrating family-centric holidays. Could you imagine an ad with Kim K rolling around in Christmas lights on a bed while badly eating a burger or a bikini-clad Paris Hilton washing Santa's sleigh? No, for holiday deals, Carl's Jr apparently wants to make a different kind of splash with a very different kind of energy.
Bringing Big Carl Energy to the holidays
Last summer, Latto had the hit, "Big Energy" (per Vulture), which has a lot in common with the song "Fantasy" by Mariah Carey – someone so full of Christmas energy that she tried to trademark the title "Queen of Christmas." Is Carl's Jr playing off of this energy? We don't know, but it would fit well with the holidays. And now the chain would like to introduce the world to "Big Carl Energy," proving that the Big Carl is not just a meal; it's a state of mind. As defined by Urban Dictionary, BCE or Big Carl Energy means "confident enough not to need stuff. You either have it, or you don't."
Presumably, if someone doesn't have this energy, they can get it from "The BCE Combo" As told to Mashed in an email, this combo lets diners feed their inner BCE with a Really Big Carl (a triple cheeseburger with lettuce on a toasted sesame seed bun), large waffle fries, and a large Orange Fanta. It is on offer now through December 13, and MyRewards members will get a $4 discount.
Less-involved ways to feed that Big Carl Energy include the Big Carl, a double cheeseburger with Classic Sauce that has a starting price of $6.69. For 90 cents more, there's the Really Big Carl, a substantial-sounding triple-decker cheeseburger with Classic Sauce. Both are served with lettuce on a toasted sesame seed bun and presumably a side of big holiday energy.