Carl’s Jr. blends AI with live-action burger ad

The commercial places the burger in the hands of a Roman gladiator addressing a packed Colosseum, creating an exaggerated setting around the product and its positioning in the competitive burger category.

Carl’s Jr. has partnered with creative agency Erich & Kallman on a campaign for its Angus Maximus burger, using a Roman Colosseum setting and an irreverent tone to position the limited-time offer as a substantial burger at an accessible price.

Priced at $5.99, Angus Maximus features one-third pound of beef, melted American cheese, onions, pickles and a special sauce on a toasted brioche bun. Erich & Kallman also worked on naming the product before developing the commercial.

Erich & Kallman builds Carl’s Jr. burger spectacle

Burge Diemer, CMO, Carl’s Jr.: “This ad powerfully introduces this cooked-to-order burger as a welcome alternative for anyone with a passion for flavor. The commercial creates amped up excitement around the Angus Maximus as the limited time offer product kicks off our era of cooked-to-order greatness. This year we’ve demonstrated a brand-wide revolution across all of our burgers, with a commitment to quality upgrades and changing perceptions – and creative like this assert us as the forward-thinking experts in crave-worthy burgers.”

The Angus Maximus is Carl’s Jr.’s first limited-time offer to highlight its cooked-to-order proposition, subject to participation. The positioning also makes a direct claim around the burger’s quality within the wider category.

Angus Maximus campaign focuses on cooked-to-order burgers

Eric Kallman, Co-Founder and CCO, Erich & Kallman: “Carl’s Jr. isn’t interested in subtlety, and the Angus Maximus is confident and irreverent in a way that feels like the epitome of the brand. Through over-the-top spectacle, we saw the opportunity to turn a burger offer into an epic proclamation, reflective of the brand’s longstanding swagger.”

The campaign's production combined traditional filming with AI-assisted visual effects. Erich & Kallman filmed the commercial's main scenes against a blue screen, while the food and actors were filmed live.

AI visual effects support Carl’s Jr. commercial production

The agency experimented with AI visual effects techniques as part of the production process, exploring potential time and cost efficiencies while maintaining real-life actors and a human-focused approach to the commercial.

The production approach was designed to support the scale of the Colosseum concept while keeping the food, talent and character at the centre of the campaign.

www.erich-kallman.com

www.carlsjr.com

Follow Marketing Report on LinkedIn