Carl's Jr.®

Kim Kardashian is a Hit for Carl's Jr. and its New Line of Grilled Chicken Salads

Jan 11, 2010

Public Can’t Get Enough of Popular Celebrity, Both Online and Off   CARPINTERIA, California - January 11, 2010 - Carl’s Jr.® knew that partnering with Kim Kardashian to promote its new line of Grilled Chicken Salads would help raise awareness for the delicious, sit-down restaurant quality creations, but they were thrilled at how much buzz the young celebrity could generate. Through Jan. 8, interest in Kim Kardashian’s salad commercial has received unparalleled press coverage, garnering 258 million media impressions (potential viewers/readers), more than three times the quantity achieved by any one of the chain’s previous celebrity commercial stars and, amazingly, more than all of them combined.   Media coverage has ranged from People magazine and The Jay Leno Show, to CNBC’s FastMoney and USA Today. There has been an additional 1.8 million views on YouTube for the :30 commercial and a combined 2.1 million views for all of the other salad- and Kim-related videos.   So, it’s no surprise that Carl’s Jr. has lined up a host of additional activities to make the most of Kardashian’s immense popularity in both the offline and online realms. This Wednesday, Jan. 13, Kim will be hosting a live streaming lunch date on the Carl’s Jr. Facebook page (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/carlsjr">www.facebook.com/carlsjr</a>) at Noon PST and everyone is invited. Fans who buy a salad in advance will receive a special code to unlock additional access to the virtual lunch date, allowing them to interact and ask questions with Kim in chat format. Kim’s invitation to the event can be viewed in virtual 3-D under the “Salads Are Hot” tab on the Carl’s Jr. Facebook page.      “Kim Kardashian has been an absolute joy to work with and her genuine charm, charisma, beauty and brains have endeared her to a huge base of fans,” said Brad Haley, executive vice president of marketing for Carl’s Jr. “Because of Kim’s immense popularity, her commercial is not only a hit on television, its a hit in the digital space as well. And, the result is that the new salads, particularly Kim’s favorite the Cranberry Apple Walnut Grilled Chicken Salad, have been selling at record pace. As the commercial says, ‘Who says salads can’t be hot?’”   “This has been a terrific partnership,” said Kim Kardashian. “The commercial was fun to shoot, the salad is delicious and I’m thrilled so many fans are enjoying both. I hope they all join me for the Ultimate Salad Lunch Date on Wednesday, too.”   Carl’s Jr. Facebook fans will also be able to see the exclusive “too-hot for TV” director’s cut of the commercial beginning today at 11 a.m. PST. The Carl’s Jr. Facebook page will be the only place to view the :45 internet-only ad for the first 24 hours.   About Carl’s Jr. Carl’s Jr. is celebrating more than 65 years in the quick-service industry. What began as a lone hot dog cart in Los Angeles, Calif. in 1941 is today an international organization that employs nearly 30,000 people worldwide. Carl’s Jr. is a wholly owned subsidiary of CKE Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: CKR) of Carpinteria, Calif. As of the end of its fiscal 2010 third quarter, CKE Restaurants, Inc., through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,147 franchised, licensed or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and in 14 countries, including 1,221 Carl's Jr. restaurants and 1,913 Hardee's restaurants. For more information, or to find a Carl’s Jr. near you, go to <a href="http://www.ckr.com/">www.ckr.com</a> or <a href="http://www.carlsjr.com/">www.carlsjr.com</a>. Carl’s Jr. social media sites include <a href="http://www.facebook.com/carlsjr">www.facebook.com/carlsjr</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/carlsjr">www.twitter.com/carlsjr</a>, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/carlsjr">www.youtube.com/carlsjr</a>.   # # #