When Hardees launched their first store in Kuwait in 1980, they had the distinction of being the first American fast-food franchise in the Middle East. For many across the region, it was their first taste of western fast food culture and the Hardees brand still holds a warm place in many fast-food aficionados hearts.
Today, more than 40 years later Hardees is once more blazing a new trail with GO ALL IN – a new brand platform that unapologetically celebrates indulgence. At its core, this platform heroes the noble burger as a metaphor for life itself – something that deserves to be relished, celebrated and seized with both hands. GO ALL IN serves as an open challenge to a world where societal pressures to conform are increasingly encroaching upon our freedoms and liberty, an antidote to the status quo.
To mark their new brand philosophy, Hardees and their newly appointed agency ‿ And Us have launched their first major rebrand in the region in 30 years, with a new design aesthetic across all touchpoints and guest experiences, including logo, packaging, menu boards, uniforms, décor, social media and other marketing assets.
Hardees first complete rebrand in more than three decades comes as the Hardees seeks to reinvent itself for Generation Z while also staying true to its core loyal patrons who have supported the brand over the years.
The new feel-good branding champions unabashed indulgence with zero compromise, an in-your-face celebration of the joys of quality ingredients and feel-good foods. Bright, bold and fierce, the new design platform features messaging that speaks to an unabashed enjoyment of life, food and everything that goes along with it – a call to leave manners and pretenses behind and enjoy one’s life to the full.
“In an ever more cluttered marketing landscape it’s not about speaking to everybody – it’s about speaking to your core target audience in a way that resonates with who they are and what they stand for,” said Hussein Kandil, regional marketing director of Hardees. “Our new branding captures the essence of who are customers are – a liberated subset of QSR connoisseurs that live their lives to the full – people who value quality ingredients and taste with no room for compromise”.
Fadi Yaish, founder and chief creative officer of ‿And Us, said:
“Fast food brands have become embarrassed about who they are and what they do. But our research showed that Hardees’ target audience still value the joy of indulgence. Fast food is about more than just eating – it’s a celebration of life. Hardees’ secret ingredient isn’t just angus beef and whole chicken – it’s joy. The new Hardees branding embraces the essence of what makes our customers tick.”
