Carl’s Jr. has never been shy about making noise. This is the brand that once sold burgers with bikini-clad commercials so over-the-top they became part of pop culture. But the fast-food game has changed. The ad space is louder, the competition is sharper, and the cost of a Super Bowl spot can eat a marketing budget alive.
This year, instead of fighting for 30 seconds during the big game, Carl’s Jr. went somewhere else entirely, into the social media slipstream, with a social management strategy built around TikTok star Alix Earle. The result? The kind of buzz most brands wish they could buy.
Turning TikTok into the main stage
Carl’s Jr. didn’t chase the moment on Super Bowl Sunday. They claimed the day after. The “National Hangover Day” campaign hit just when social feeds were flooded with post-game chatter. That’s when Alix Earle, with her 7.5 million TikTok followers, stepped in.
This wasn’t a generic influencer shout-out. Earle’s posts and Instagram stories pulled Carl’s Jr. into her world, chaotic mornings, hair tied up, no overproduced gloss. The campaign didn’t just look authentic. It felt like she actually ate the food. That paid off with a jaw-dropping 47% engagement rate, while Carl’s Jr.’s Instagram following surged by 91% during the campaign. The Carl’s Jr. Alix Earle pairing wasn’t an ad buy. It was a cultural drop.
Authenticity over old formulas
Carl’s Jr. could have leaned on nostalgia and recreated its infamous early-2000s ads. But that would have been lazy. Instead, the Carl’s Jr. Alix Earle collab kept the edge without feeling dated.
Earle’s charm is in being unapologetically herself. She laughs mid-sentence. She lets the camera see the mess. Carl’s Jr. didn’t try to polish that into something else. They let her lead, and in doing so, brought the brand’s attitude into 2025 without losing the DNA that made it famous.
Taking the burger to the club
The partnership wasn’t confined to Instagram and TikTok. Carl’s Jr. flipped one of its Los Angeles restaurants into “Club Carl’s”, a pop-up nightclub with a DJ, velvet ropes, and a build-your-own burger bag bar. It was part party, part brand activation, and pure content fuel.
Then came the “Kay So?” push for the Queso Crunch Burger, featuring a club literally made of queso, shot glasses, lip gloss, the works, with Earle at the center. Paris Hilton dropped in for a surprise cameo, tying in a wink of nostalgia for older fans while keeping the vibe fresh for Earle’s crowd.
Playbook for brands that want in
There’s a clear strategy here:
- Pick influencers who fit like they belong. Carl’s Jr. Alix Earle worked because her personality matched the brand’s energy without forcing it.
- Tell your story everywhere your audience is. Social posts, live events, loyalty apps, they layered it all so no moment felt one-and-done.
- Use nostalgia sparingly. A little throwback lands better than a full rerun.
- Time it right. Skipping Super Bowl Sunday let them own the conversation Monday, without spending millions.
The results speak for themselves
The Carl’s Jr. Alix Earle campaign pulled engagement rates nearly twice the industry average, drove huge spikes in followers, and helped grow the brand’s loyalty app base. More importantly, it made the chain feel relevant to an audience that may have never considered it before.
It’s proof that reach isn’t enough anymore. You need connection, moments where the brand feels like it’s speaking directly to its audience instead of broadcasting at them.
Final bite
You don’t need a Super Bowl spot to own a cultural moment. You need the right person, the right platform, and the right timing. Carl’s Jr. didn’t just promote a burger. They built an experience their audience wanted to be part of, and that’s the kind of marketing people actually remember.
FAQs
How do you find the right influencer for your brand?
Look for someone whose personality feels like an extension of your brand, not a rented face.
Why should brands tell their story in different ways?
Different channels reinforce your message, so it sticks long after the first impression.Does timing really make a difference in marketing?
Absolutely. The right launch moment can get you more attention for less spend.