Hardee’s Middle East has launched a new campaign, apologising to customers for the long wait as the restaurant reintroduces two of its most requested sandwiches: Roast Beef and Chicken Ranch.
The quick-service restaurant (QSR) collaborated with the creatives at BPG Group, who built on the insight that some cravings never fade. Hardee’s said that over the years, customers have continuously requested the return of the two sandwiches, primarily on the QSR’s social platforms. This built quiet anticipation across the region as customers, almost obsessively, waited for the return of their favourite Hardee’s sandwich.
Actualising this customer sentiment, the campaign opens on a support group for those pining after the Hardee’s Roast Beef and Chicken Ranch sandwiches. The camera follows individuals lamenting over how they’re coping with missing their favourite sandwiches through satirical exaggeration. One member has held on to t-shirts that still smell like the Chicken Ranch sandwich. Another says she has traveled the world looking for her favourite Hardee’s Roast Beef.
The spot then reaches a turning point as the group’s moderator receives a call telling him the items are back on the Hardee’s menu. He makes a run for it and the group follows to find him chomping down on the two classics.
The campaign cuts to the tagline ‘Sorry, we’re back!’ conveying a cheeky apology for the long wait and framing the sandwiches’ return as the answer to a craving that never really went away.
“Bringing back the Roast Beef and Chicken Ranch was about responding to what customers have been asking for, in a way that aligns with our personality,” said Fahim Hemchaoui, Regional Marketing Director at Hardee’s Middle East. “These two sandwiches are among our most requested products, and their return gave us the opportunity to reintroduce them with improved quality while staying true to what makes Hardee’s distinctive.”
At a broader brand level, the relaunch also reinforces Hardee’s global positioning: ‘Eat like you mean it.’
“Hardee’s has always been built on bold flavor and unapologetic indulgence,” said Zeina Karake, Regional Marketing Director at CKE Restaurants. “This campaign reflects the brand’s heritage while keeping it relevant for today’s audiences, showing how staying close to our customers and brand lovers continues to inspire the return of iconic products in a way that feels authentic, entertaining, and true to who we are.”
Using indulgence and obsession as creative levers, the team at BPG Group brought to life the relaunch of the menu classics with humour, indulgence, and playful obsession at the centre of the narrative.
“This campaign was all about putting the audience first,” said Aaron Leung, Creative Director at BPG Group. “Our goal was to translate insights into advertising that feels relevant, entertaining, and true to the brand. This project also reflects how BPG’s partnership with Americana is flourishing and sets the tone for a creative collaboration built on culturally resonant work in the Middle East.”
The work is live across digital, OOH and social platforms in the Middle East, inviting audiences to rediscover the Roast Beef and Chicken Ranch and experience their return in a fresh, entertaining way.
Credits:
Hardee’s Middle East
Fahim Hemchaoui – Regional Marketing Director, Americana Restaurants
Gorkem Akyavuz – Senior Regional Marketing Manager, Americana Restaurants
Zeina Karake – Regional Marketing Director, CKE Restaurants
Mohammad Hassan – Creative Designer, Americana Restaurants
Creative: BPG Group
Ben Schwartz – VP Client Services
Pia Saghbini – Senior Account Manager
Ramy El Sakka – Chief Creative Officer
Aaron Leung – Creative Director
Marcos Mendes Tanaka – Senior Art Director
Jowana AlHindi – Content Creator
Shivaya Munjal – Senior Copywriter
Ramshad Akkalath – Motions Graphics Designer
Production House: BKP
Martin Velkov – EP/Partner
Karim Ayesh – Director
Mostafa Fahmy – DOP
Maria Fontella – Art Director
Sebastian Vronski – Music and SFX
Post Production House – Barbershop Studio
Jan Paulo – Senior Editor
