In 2005, Carl’s Jr. made waves—and raised eyebrows—with an unforgettable commercial: Paris Hilton, dripping in suds, washing a Bentley in a black swimsuit while biting into a giant burger. It was outrageous, controversial, and undeniably effective. Whether praised for its boldness or slammed for objectifying women, the spot put Carl’s Jr. front and center in pop culture.
Two decades later, the brand returns to the Super Bowl spotlight by doing what so many brands are trying: remixing nostalgia for a Gen Z and millennial crowd. Enter Alix Earle—TikTok star, college grad, and Gen Z’s poster girl for aspirational relatability. This time, she channels Hilton’s iconic role but updates the mood. The 2025 version still features a sleek car and burger bites, but with a digital-native influencer who built her following through confessional content, not tabloids.
This reboot isn’t just about reusing a famous format—it’s about reinterpreting it. While Paris Hilton’s ad leaned into the early 2000s fantasy of glamour and excess, the Alix Earle version is filtered through today’s influencer economy. There’s less shock value, more strategy. Less scandal, more savvy. The sex appeal remains, but the focus has shifted: it’s now about control, clout, and curated personal branding.
The original ad played heavily on traditional gender roles and visual hyperbole. The backlash didn’t stop it from succeeding. In fact, it arguably cemented Carl’s Jr.’s identity. Fast forward to today, and the new campaign walks a tightrope between homage and adaptation—keeping the sizzle without getting burned.
The ad’s timing—debuting at the Super Bowl—is no accident. It’s the year’s biggest stage for ad storytelling, and Carl’s Jr. uses it to assert a clear message: the brand still knows how to grab attention, but it also knows the game has changed. Viewers no longer just want to be entertained—they want to be in on the reference, to recognize the wink.
And by casting an influencer who rose to fame through smartphones, not scandals, Carl’s Jr. tells us this: you don’t need to break the internet anymore—you just need to understand it.
In 2025, nothing beats a burger… except maybe a viral throwback.