Carl's Jr. and Munchies Are Selling a Sandwich on OnlyFans

The newest entrant in the chicken sandwich wars has given new meaning to the word “striptease.” To promote its new chicken sandwich, Carl’s Jr. and Hardee's will partner with Munchies, the food sub-brand of Vice, on its OnlyFans account that launched last week. Beginning June 17, Munchies will share salacious content promoting the hand-breaded chicken sandwich from Carl’s Jr. and Hardee's in a campaign sure to make ample use of every double entendre imaginable. "The whole idea came out of this idea of obsession, which we thought OnlyFans was perfect for," said Patty Trevino, svp of marketing at Carl's Jr. and Hardee's parent company CKE Restaurants. "Carl's Jr. has always been a little provocative, so our franchisees are very used to us marketing in non-traditional ways." If we can get Munchies' super fans excited about this, those are the folks that are going to really spread the word.Cory Haik, chief digital officer, Vice The campaign follows a growing trend of brands launching tongue-in-cheek marketing operations on OnlyFans, which has become a household name largely due to its reputation as a safe-haven for sex workers who can paywall their adult content. Food companies in particular, such as the spicy chili sauce brand Fly By Jing, have found the crossovers between sex and dining a fertile ground for saucy copy. "All-natural" roots Carl’s Jr. has a track record for using sex to sell its products, employing models like Charlotte McKinney in its 2015 Super Bowl commercial to draw comparisons between “all-natural” hamburgers and herself. This marketing stunt extends that premise. The Carl’s Jr. and Hardee's feed, which users can browse for free, offers suggestive videos featuring a pair of disembodied hands caressing hamburger buns, stirring buttermilk sauces and, to promote its new chicken and waffle sandwich, dripping in maple syrup. The hyper-sexualized angle arrives at a poignant time as people emerging from lockdown crave the touch and intimacy that has lain dormant throughout quarantine. As a result, the thrust of the campaign and its nod to the zeitgeist make the visuals particularly compelling, said Mary Keane-Dawson, CEO of the influencer marketing agency Takumi. "What they're promoting is the joy of food. It's about dirty food and enjoying being dirty," Keane-Dawson said. "It completely differentiates them from every other chicken sandwich, and the timing is genius." Why Vice Is Trying to Build a Community—on OnlyFans Why Carl’s Jr. and Hardee's partnered with Munchies Munchies made waves in December when it became the first publisher to join OnlyFans, charging $4.99 a month for access. Munchies has spent months building its OnlyFans following and perfecting its platform-specific tone, making it an appealing partner for brands like Carl’s Jr. and Hardee's that are new to the space. Its reputation as a bastion of stoner food, expletive-loving chefs and gratuitous consumption dovetails nicely with the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee's audience. In this way, Munchies and Carl’s Jr. and Hardee's have actually borrowed a technique from sex workers whose work underpins the platform. Adult content creators often trade “shout-outs” between each other on OnlyFans, exposing their work to new audiences with money occasionally trading hands. "Engagement over scale" For its partnership with Carl’s Jr. and Hardee's, Munchies will briefly drop the paywall. Starting June 17, the first 500 people to visit the Munchies OnlyFans page via the previews on the Munchies Instagram will be able to see the exclusive full-length video on the page for free. Munchies will also share previews of the Carl’s Jr. OnlyFans content on its Instagram and Instagram Stories. In return, Carl’s Jr. and Hardee's will share the Munchies content previews on its social pages. "It's not about the size of the group, it's about their influence," said Cory Haik, chief digital officer at Vice. "If we can get Munchies' super fans excited about this, those are the folks that are going to really spread the word." Burger King and Taco Bell Keep the Poultry Wars Simmering With New Chicken Products

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Carl's Jr. and Hardee's Partner With Munchies to Sell Chicken Sandwich on OnlyFans

Saucy brands use NSFW platform in campaign that's sure to use plenty of double entendres

Mark Stenberg

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