FRANKLIN, Tenn., June 29, 2021 — Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s are joining the crypto-currency craze and partnering with actress and supermodel Charlotte Mckinney for their first-ever non-fungible token (NFT). Featuring one of Mckinney’s famed All-Natural Burger bite shots from a 2015 advertising campaign, the NFT was created by female artist, Grace Casas, and will be auctioned off to one lucky fan starting today on OpenSea. All net proceeds from the NFT sale will go toward The Simon Foundation for Continence, a nonprofit whose mission it is to provide help and hope for individuals with incontinence.
As Carl’s Jr.’s celebrates 80 years of innovation in the quick service restaurant space this July, the release in partnership with Mckinney signals the brands’ final goodbye to a more risqué advertising past as they continue to focus on impossible-to-ignore culinary innovations, including the recently launched Hand-Breaded Chicken platform, the first-ever CBD burger at Carl’s Jr.®, Froot Loops Mini Donuts and more.
“Charlotte Mckinney is an integral part of one of our most storied advertising moments, and is now stepping into the crypto-culture,” said Patty Trevino, senior vice president of brand marketing at CKE Restaurants. “Working with her to auction off our first NFT is the ultimate way to turn the page and move forward from campaigns of our past, while still maintaining our provocative style of doing things.”
McKinney’s 2015 Super Bowl advertisement helped CKE reach milestones faster than any advertisement at the time, generating nearly 2.5 billion media impressions and 9.5 million YouTube views in just two weeks. McKinney has remained an avid fan of the brands, most recently teaming up to launch the Happy Star filter on Instagram, encouraging her followers to “Feed Your Happy.”
“Carl’s Jr. was a launchpad for my career and I’m forever grateful for our partnership that sparked such a special moment in my life,” said Charlotte Mckinney. “I’m honored to join forces with the brand for its first ever NFT in support of an incredible cause that is near and dear to my heart.”
Visit https://opensea.io/collection/charlottes-bite-shot for more information.
About CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc.
CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. (“CKE”), a privately held company based in Franklin, Tennessee, runs and operates Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, two beloved regional brands, known for one-of-a-kind premium and innovative menu items such as 100 percent Black Angus Thickburgers, Made from Scratch Biscuits and Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders™. With both a US and international footprint, Carl’s Jr. Restaurants LLC and Hardee’s Restaurants LLC have over 3,900 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 44 states and 42 foreign countries and U.S. territories. For more information about CKE, please visit www.ckr.com or its brand sites at www.carlsjr.com and www.hardees.com.
SOURCE CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc.