Hardees’ Distasteful Ad

Change font size:  A |  A

What is it with fast food chains and off-color advertising? First Burger King came out with a highly suggestive ad for a sandwich, now Hardees suggests we buy an order of ”Biscuit-icles.”

The fast food restaurant had added a new item to their breakfast menu, Cinnamon Sugar Biscuit Holes. But Hardees found it a “challenge” to name its new product so they enlisted the help of their patrons. While the search continues Hardees released an ad in which consumers were asked to name the product after tasting it. The ad features many of them – and the paid pitchman – offering inappropriate alternative names for Biscuit Holes.

The tasters came up with “Goody Balls,” “Creamy Sweet Holes,” “Cinna-Nuts,” “Hole Munchers,” “A-Holes, “Tasty Nuts,” “Melting Holes,” and  “Frosty Dippers,” were all suggestions given. One passing women said “Sweetballs” and the Hardees’ representative told her to “eat with her mouth open.” Other suggestions included, “Dingleballs,” “PuffyNuts” “Iced B-Holes.” [Insert loud groan.]

 But the Hardees’ pitchman himself had the most offensive name: “Biscuit-icles.” With the donuts placed between his fingers, he announced his great idea to a passerby, who looked rather confused. The voice over then stated, “They sound so wrong, but taste so right.” Even if the biscuit holes are tasty, Hardees could come up with a name that isn’t “so wrong.”

Taking note of the ad on its site, Entertainment Weekly’s Tanner Stransky wrote, “Am I really supposed to be enticed to buy Biscuit Holes simply because they have a disgusting name?”

Still, consumers are lucky. Brad Haley, Hardee’s executive vice president of marketing, stated, “But there were many other suggestions that were very funny. Unfortunately, I can’t repeat them here.” More funny than “Biscuit-icles?”

Produced by Mendelsohn Zien Advertising, the commercial is aimed at online media and can be viewed on Hardee’s Facebook page and its’ Youtube channel. The company “will also launch a comprehensive synergistic mobile campaign complete with a mobile site developed by iLoop Mobile.”

Fortunately Hardees has a created a separate website where patrons may submit their own ideas for the Biscuit Holes entitled Name Our Holes. One suggestion: why not just stick with the name Biscuit Holes? The name describes what the food is. It’s no different than doughnut chains, like Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, calling its’ doughnut holes “Doughnut Holes.” And it’s a lot better than asking for an order of “Biscuit-icles.”