LOS ANGELES – Paris Hilton likes her burgers spicy. The hotel heiress, actress, jewelry designer and entrepreneur will star in a television commercial next week in which she will slap suds on the side of a Bentley automobile and chomp on a thick burger while clad in a skimpy black bathing suit.
Hilton will perform the feat to a rock version of the song “I Love Paris in the Springtime.”
The ad for the fast-food chain Carl’s Jr. will feature Hilton’s signature tag line, which doubles as a reference to the barbecue sauce and jalapenos-pepper laden sandwich – “that’s hot.”
The 30-second spot will debut nationally on the syndicated show “Entertainment Tonight,” on May 17, then go into regular rotation in Western states where Carl’s Jr. does business. In late June, the ad will be shown across the midwest to tout a similar sandwich at the company’s Hardee’s restaurants.
“We’re working on trying to make Paris Hilton famous,” joked Andrew Puzder, president and chief executive of CKE Restaurants Inc., which owns the two fast food chains.
The company is known for its racy television ads, one of which featured a woman eating a burger while riding a mechanical bull. Another starred Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner and several playmates. That ad was condemned by televangelist the Rev. Robert Schuller.
The two chains also tout huge, dripping burgers at a time when other fast-food restaurants are offering more healthy alternatives.
Puzder said his company’s ad agency suggested using Hilton.
“She’s very appealing to our demographic,” which he described as young, hungry guys.
“And it turns out she really loved the burger we wanted her to promote,” Puzder said. “We did see her eat a couple of them at the shoot.”
The company will feature a 60-second version, which Puzder promises will be “racier,” on its Web sites.