ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s are getting a brand refresh with a design inspired by the brand’s flavors and ingredients, reports Marketing Five.
“This reimagined identity not only rings in a new era for both Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s but gives us a platform to unite our total brand experience around leading our guests to what feeds their happy,” Meredith Martin, senior director of marketing communications at CKE Restaurants, told Marketing DIVE.
The new design is subtle. The brands’ Happy Star logo and its “flavor trail” will have a charbroiled burger texture behind it. The typography of the branding will adjust to align with the shape and angles of the logo, and the brand colors have been switched to food-inspired shades, including Charbroil Black, American Cheese Yellow, Flame Red and Biscuit Cream.
The brand update will be introduced through an ad campaign, and Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s have launched the “Score Big Cup Game & Sweepstakes,” which includes QR codes that have been placed on specially marked cups that come with largo combo meals.
In May, CKE Restaurants announced it would invest $500 million over the next four to six years on restaurant and digital transformations. More than 500 restaurant locations across 20 markets are planned to be updated by the end of the year. The reimaging will focus on holistic renovations, technology advancements and streamlined operations.
Other fast-food and quick-serve restaurants are investing millions in upgrades to its restaurants and digital components. Burger King is spending $400 million over the next two years on its “Reclaim the Flame” plan, using $150 million on advertising and digital investments and $250 million on a "Royal Reset" involving restaurant technology, kitchen equipment, building enhancements and high-quality remodels and relocations.
Starbucks introduced a three-year plan to upgrade its cafes with the new equipment and updating stores, spending about $450 million. Starbucks is also boosting its loyalty program by extending the program to licensed retailers and linking the program to other loyalty program, such as those for retailers and airlines. Customers will be able to earn their stars on purchases other than Starbucks, and they’ll be able to use their points for airline miles.
Panera Bread is also updating its loyalty program to include choice-based rewards launching October 6 and is holding its first-ever MyPanera Week. Panera’s loyalty program, MyPanera, will allow members to select their reward from multiple options based on their personal preferences, instead of a single, pre-selected reward. The company says the new benefit is rooted in MyPanera's relationship-based loyalty program, where rather than a transactional points system, members are rewarded based on frequency of visits, spend and their individual purchases and preferences.
Earlier this month, Hardee's partnered with Nashville-based Southern Grist Brewing Co. on a Strawberry Biscuit Ale to celebrate National Biscuit Month.
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