Research Activity: Advertisement That Doesn't Work and Why it Irks Me

Lauren Robertstad

Introduction to Mass Communications Sec 01

Research Activity

Advertisement that doesn't work and why it irks me

In May 2005, Carl's Jr. introduced their six dollar spicy chicken burger. The following is a description of the advertisement to promote this new product.

The commercial comes on and there is Paris Hilton. She's dressed in a scantly clad bathing suit. She walks to the black car in the commercial and fills a bucket with water. She then proceeds to cover herself in soapy car water. She suggestively rubs herself up and down the car and at one point in the commercial gets on top of the car and spreads her legs. Near the end of the commercial she's crawling on the ground while the camera zooms in and out on her butt, hips, thighs, and breasts. Finally she grabs onto a Carl's Jr. Hamburger and bites into it suggesting that she's not eating a hamburger but something a tad bit naughtier. Did I just explain to you a snippet from the new porno for hamburger lovers? No. I just explained the advertisement campaign for Carl's Jr. Hamburger Inc.

Here's why it works. Obviously it grabs your attention. It's hard not to look when a scantly clad model is prancing around a nice car in a bikini right? It's eye catching and it eventually displays the hamburger. I'm not sure it makes you hungry for hamburgers though if you catch my drift.

Here's it's downfall. It's plain out offending. It's offending to any woman out there who unlike Ms. Hilton, thinks of there body as a sacred place and not for public display. It's embarrassing if your sitting in your living room with kids and you have to explain why the heiress is sliding around a car all in the name of hamburger, and it's just plain out wrong. For a hamburger? Please. Paris Hilton is not famous for her great whit and spelling abilities. Let's face it, she's the queen of exploitation, and is famous for being famous. Bad for the public, good for Carl's Jr. who is now, thanks to Ms. Hilton, infamous.

The ad was pulled soon after it was aired and is now listed as banned on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvHQMZ3oZ3g