Atkins is dead; long live Atkins!
Posted on January 10, 2004 @ 2:09 pm
I’ve written about the perplexing, self-loathing advertising campaign launched by fast-food chain Hardee’s to promote their new line of Thickburgers in the distant past, but I noticed something while driving by one of their locations recently that merits a bit more attention.
It turns out that Hardee’s has done it again and introduced an exciting new menu item–the low-carb Thickburger. I’ll let the fine folks at Hardee’s describe their latest culinary sensation: “The Low Carb Thickburger is made from a charbroiled 1/3-pound seasoned, Angus beef patty, which means it tastes great even without the bun. So, no other quick-service burger chain can offer such a delicious low-carb burger option.”
Now, just in case the passage above doesn’t make it crystal clear, the new low-carb Thickburger is a hamburger without a bun. More specifically, it’s a hamburger patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, and a couple of pickles wrapped in a napkin. Don’t believe me? Here’s a photo of the new “sandwich” from the Hardee’s website:
What kind of world do we live in where removing the bun from the hamburger equation and retaining the beef patty is supposed to make it healthier? Perhaps more importantly, is a hamburger, by definition, even a hamburger anymore without the bun?
Personally, I’m holding out for Hardee’s to introduce a low-carb, low-cal Thickburger with just some lettuce and tomato wrapped up in yesterday’s newspaper. To paraphrase the chain’s current slogan, maybe that’s how the last place I’d go for a burger could become the first.
Posted by Jess | Filed Under Random Musings |
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How the hell do you EAT it?
Very carefully.
In-N-Out (the burger chain here that has everyone in the world beat) has had “protein style” as one of their many non-advertised ways of serving their burgers for years and years. Actually, I got Heather a protein style burger from there earlier today. And no, she’s not on the Atkins diet, she just likes the way it tastes, but the Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s rip-off looks gross.
Goofy Americans, eh?
I particularly enjoy the tv commercial where the guy talks about everyone complaining when he returns from picking lunch up from Hardee’s; I can’t recall his exact words for their reactions, but you might as well substitute them with, “Hardee’s? Hardee’s sucks! There’s not a single thing on their menu that we could possibly choke down!” The point is that it’s one thing to say you’ve improved your hamburgers; but it’s pretty sad that they’re telling the world that their entire menu sucks too, but they don’t make any apologies for that. I think that this may be the absolute worst ad campaign I’ve ever witnessed. My thought were right along with yours when I started seeing these commercials:
We admit that everyone thinks all of our food sucks, but we think we’ve come up with one, over-priced thing that doesn’t. -Hardee’s
If someone were truly concerned with weight loss, they wouldn’t be eating at any of the high-fat fast food chains.
JP: You know, I didn’t realize how disgusting Hardee’s was until they started reminding me on a regular basis in their radio and television spots. Well-played, ad wizards.
sugarmama: Apparently, in this topsy-turvy world of the Atkins diet, concerns over fat, calories, and cholesterol are a thing of the past. Forget everything we’ve learned about nutrition in the past century and enjoy an after-dinner snack consisting of 64 slices of American cheese. Yum!
Hunting Of The Snark - Week 16
It’s Friday Saturday (well, it was Friday when I compiled this but I left it in draft mode by mistake) so that means it’s time for another Snark Hunt wherein I present the snippiest, snarkiest posts from around the blogosphere… or at least from those…
Jess… I hate to pull the rug out from under your tirade, but 64 slices of American cheese would contain an entire day’s worth of allowed carbs for someone starting out on Atkins.
Just one day?
tee fuckin’ hee