Super Bowl Runs Its First Plant-Based Burger Commercial

Carl’s Jr.’s commercial for the Beyond Famous Star will air during the Super Bowl on Sunday in the Los Angeles area—marking the first time that a plant-based burger advertisement has been featured during the big game. The 30-second commercial depicts a Wild West cowboy character doing yoga on the beach while eating a Beyond Famous Star. “Yeah. I’ve seen a lot out here in the West. But a juicy charbroiled burger with a patty made from plants … Only the folks at Carl’s Jr. can pull off something that bold,” the cowboy says. “All the legendary flavor; none of the meat. When the wagon of change comes, you ride along with it.” On January 2, Carl’s Jr. added the Beyond Famous Star (which can be ordered vegan by omitting cheese and mayonnaise) to more than 1,000 locations nationwide, making it the largest fast-food chain to offer the vegan Beyond Meat patty. Marketing tactics for the Beyond Famous Star are a major pivot for the company as Carl’s Jr.’s previous Super Bowl commercials featured scantily clad women eating meat-based burgers. Last month, Carl’s Jr. became one of the first restaurants to use the Beyond Burger 2.0—a “meatier” version of Beyond Meat’s original patty.