CKE sues Jack in the Box over Angus-spoofing spot

Nation's Restaurant News,  June 4, 2007  

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SANTA ANA, CALIF. -- Displeased by TV ads lampooning the Angus burgers sold by several rival chains, the parent of the Carl's Jr. and Hardee's brands has sued Jack in the Box Inc. in federal court here, charging it with deceptive advertising.

The complaint by CKE Restaurants Inc. of Carpinteria, Calif., against the San Diego-based competitor alleges that its ads imply that Angus beef comes from the anus end of the cow instead of being a breed of cattle.

Carl's Jr., Hardee's, McDonald's and Burger King all feature Angus burgers.

The satirical ad for Jack in the Box's 100-percent sirloin burgers shows the chain's clown-headed "CEO" pitchman Jack pointing to the sirloin cut of meat on a cow diagram.

When an underling asks him to point to where "Angus" comes from, Jack pauses, with the tail end of the cow visible, and says, "I'd rather not."

The lawsuit, filed May 25, seeks unspecified damages and the airing of new ads that correct "the erroneous notion that all cuts of Angus beef are derived from the anus of beef cattle."

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