Carl's sexy ads work wonders

Andrew Puzder, CEO of Carl's Jr. parent CKE Restaurants, says those ads featuring Paris Hilton and other babes chomping on burgers has helped boost sales, which in turn has boosted the company's stock price. During the company's shareholder meeting last week, one investor requested "more responsible advertising," but Puzder says that the target audience is a young hungry guy (yeah, burgers too). "I have no problem with attractive women provocatively eating our burgers in ads," he says. The irony, of course, is that CKE founder Carl Karcher is devoutly Catholic, attended morning mass every day before going to the office, began every company board meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance, and contributed heavily to anti-abortion groups. (He was the largest single contributor to a 1978 ballot initiative in California that would have required public schools in California to fire any teachers known to be gay or lesbian. Even Ronald Reagan came out against it.) Call me wacky, but I've got a feeling Karcher wouldn't have been exactly into Paris. He was ousted from CKE in the early 90s. The OC Register's Nancy Luna talked to Puzder:

Luna: Does sex sell burgers?

Puzder: I guess you could say sex sells burgers. We have to have ads that stick with you. Whether it's cow shake or Paris Hilton. It makes a big difference.

Luna: Speaking of Paris, would you take her back after she's served jail time?

Puzder: I'd be happy to use Paris anytime. With celebrities, we try to do one ad. You don't want your brand to become synonymous with one celebrity. But I think Paris was great for us, and we'd love to have her back.

Luna: How important is it when someone like Jay Leno makes fun of your commercials?

Puzder: Oh please. You can't buy that kind of publicity. TV is a declining media. What you really want is to be "in the show." Let's take the Paris Hilton ad. Young hungry guys weren't fast forwarding past Paris. They were Tivo'ing it and playing it.

[CUT]

Luna: Despite healthy lifestyle trends, you've always been honest about who you are, while rivals have tried to promote salads, and reduced fat fare.

Puzder: We dodged that whole thing. People are not coming to Carl's for apple sauce and a fruit cup.

Luna: Do you ever plan to sell apple sauce and a fruit cup?

Puzder: Nope. Not unless people starting coming to us for that reason.