Appealing to the Young Hungry Guy

If there is one thing on this earth I would never consider sexy, it’s fast food. Fast food chains make me think of grease-saturated foods and the documentary “Supersize Me.” Not sexy. However, certain chains such as Hardees and Jack-in-the-Box have recently begun to market their products with sex appeal and innuendo. I remember seeing a Hardees commercial years ago where Paris Hilton was seen alternately washing a car and eating a Hardees burger. I knew that Hardees had continued to make commercials of this nature in years since and looked a few up on YouTube. I was appalled, to say the least. Each of the commercials is the same—half-naked women parade around the screen eating enormous Hardees burgers.

So why does Hardees find this type of advertising necessary? It ensures that their name is branded into our memories. Although their commercials are often controversial, they care more that you remember their brand than that you approved of the advertisement.

In this commercial, the commentator deliberately states, “To help you remember our new charbroiled turkey burger, we hired Miss Turkey. To help you remember Miss Turkey, we put her in a bikini. And to help you remember Miss Turkey’s bikini, we had it designed with little, tiny pictures of our charbroiled turkey burger. And that’s just the way it is.” The company overtly says that they want you to remember their product and ensures that you actually do by shocking you with sexual images. Another one of their shocking commercials features Kate Upton, Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, eating the spicy Southwest Patty Melt. The burger is so spicy hot that Kate feels the need to divest herself of some clothing during the commercial. Inappropriate? I certainly think so!! This commercial was debuted on television but due to its controversial nature it was pulled from its primetime slot. Another one of the commercials is so explicit that a special “director’s cut” edition is only available online, and I quote, “Because sometimes it's just too hot for TV.” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyGBrzYRzrQ&safe=active)

This type of blatant sexual advertising is directly targeting “Young Hungry Guys.” Hardees is very open about their target clientele. (See this article about the controversial Kate Upton commercial http://fox2now.com/2012/03/02/hardees-ad-steaming-up-tvs-tempers/).They show sexy women eating their new burgers to give the impression that lots of hot girls come to their restaurants. The Young Hungry Guys flock to Hardees to get their fill of the manly Hardees burgers while secretly hoping they’ll encounter women who look like Kate Upton and Miss Turkey. However, I’d like to point out that the people who frequent fast food restaurants such as Hardees usually don’t bear much resemblance to supermodels or Miss Universe contestants. Outside of the time they spend shooting the Hardees commercials, these women probably don’t touch fast food, but Hardees has seduced men into thinking otherwise.

One of the most shocking things, in my opinion, about using sex to market fast food is the stark contrast between the two. Fast food is the epitome of unhealthy while beautiful women are considered the picture of health. Eating fast food is never going to help you look like Kate Upton. However, I can understand why Hardees might find this type of advertising highly advantageous. If they are targeting Young Hungry Guys, appealing to their two most primal needs—sex and hunger—is probably a good tactic. By juxtaposing sex and food they induce more than one type of craving in their target audience.

But what does Christianity have to say about all this? I think we should take a look at Matthew 5:28, “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” In other words, sexual purity of the mind is just as important as physical sexual purity. Jesus seems pretty clear on the point that lust is a sin, and these Hardees commercials are designed to induce lustful thoughts in men. Sex appeal may entice the Young Hungry Guy to eat at Hardees, but at what expense? The devil utilizes sexual advertising to flood the male brain with temptation. These suggestive commercials are dangerous grounds for the vulnerable human mind. Once Satan has won a temptation struggle once, he is more likely to win again in the future.

Now, I personally think Hardees' tasteless and trashy advertising reflects the quality of its food. I can proudly state that I have not eaten at Hardees in a good three or four years. That’s not to say I think that eating at Hardees is a sin (I just think the food is disgusting), but as Christians we need to be careful what kinds of companies we are supporting. Would Christ approve of a company whose advertisements are so blatantly sexual? Hardees’ racy commercials are in direct contrast with our Christian faith. So, whether or not you decide to stop at Hardees for the occasional burger, I think we could all agree that the channel should be changed when their commercials fill the screen.