How Carl’s Jr & Hardee’s media director Scott Sutton is rewriting rules of QSR marketing ~via The Drum and Scott Sutton
This is a powerful reminder, via Scott Sutton, that creativity, agility, and connection will always beat pure budget. The Hangover Burger wasn’t just clever marketing, it was built on human insight, not hype… and that’s what made it resonate.
When brands listen, adapt fast, empower agility, and meet people where they are, they don’t just sell… they connect. That’s where loyalty is earned and RETURN ON RELATIONSHIP truly comes to life. /Ted
We caught up with Scott Sutton, media director at CKE Restaurants, at the ANA Masters of Marketing Conference 2025 in Orlando. A newly minted judge at The Drum Awards Festival, he shared his take on what’s working in fast food marketing, the rise of influencers and the creative split that’s redefining two of America’s most iconic burger brands.
When Scott Sutton talks about fast food, he doesn’t sound like a man slinging burgers. He sounds like a data scientist with a sense of humor – and a healthy respect for hangovers.
As media director at CKE Restaurants, Sutton oversees both Carl’s Jr and Hardee’s – two brands that, until recently, shared one marketing strategy. “A few years ago, we marketed Carl’s and Hardee’s together,” he says. “It made sense from a media efficiency standpoint. But the personalities of the brands got a little watered down.”
The fix? Split them apart.
“It’s created some challenges,” he admits. “Now we have Carl’s on the west coast, Hardee’s on the east. Not as many national opportunities – we have to be more creative with how we go to market.”
That creativity is paying off. At this year’s The Drum Awards Festival, Sutton not only served as a judge – reviewing some of the best creative work in the industry – but also found himself on the other side of the table: CKE Restaurants was nominated for its Carl’s Jr campaign with influencer Alex Earl. (And no, Sutton wasn’t in the judging room for that one.)
The hangover burger that fooled the Super Bowl
The campaign in question is a case study in modern influencer marketing. “We did our campaign with Alex Earl for the Super Bowl last year,” says Sutton. “We marketed around the Super Bowl but didn’t actually buy a Super Bowl spot. Everybody thought we were a Super Bowl advertiser – but we weren’t.”
Instead, Carl’s Jr gave away a ‘Hangover Burger’ the day after the game, leaning into the very human insight that “the day after the Super Bowl is the biggest day people call in sick.”
It was cheeky, cost-efficient and wildly effective. “We got all the buzz and excitement of the Super Bowl without the buy,” says Sutton. “That’s the kind of work that shows great content in the right context beats big-budget media every time.”
Influencers, regionality and real-time feedback
For Sutton, the Alex Earl campaign also proved how influencer partnerships can create cultural moments when used smartly. “If you have amazing content and find the right place for it, that’s when you get the huge benefit,” he says. “It’s a mistake to lead with one or the other – content and placement have to work together.”
He points out how regionality shapes the entire media approach at CKE. “Food preferences are very different across the US,” he says. “Hardee’s is huge on biscuits in the south, while Carl’s Jr skews more west coast. That’s why splitting the brands made sense.”
Sutton’s background in consumer packaged goods (CPG) makes the speed of QSR marketing all the more thrilling. “Coming from CPG, the biggest surprise for me was how fast QSR reacts. We can feel it within days when we launch a campaign – we see the data and pivot immediately.”
That agility was on display in a summer campaign featuring a young influencer known as The Rizzler. “We recreated this little social clip – it blew up,” says Sutton. “So we immediately pivoted and put it into our big CTV buys. When you see something that works, lean in hard.”
Data, loyalty and the future of retail media
Data, unsurprisingly, is the secret sauce. “It’s all about having great data – first-party data, credit card data, foot traffic data,” he says. “And being transparent about how you use it.”
CKE’s app now plays a central role in building loyalty. “We’re trying to get as many people on the app as we can. They get points, redeem offers – that’s where we’re driving rewards,” Sutton says. “Our next step is making sure we’re making the most of that first-party data.”
It’s also a natural stepping stone toward retail media. “That’s definitely on our radar,” he adds.
Judging creativity – and living it
As a judge at The Drum Awards Festival, Sutton got a front-row seat to the global creative landscape. “There’s incredible work out there – but the best campaigns always have one thing in common,” he says. “A great idea, rooted in a simple human truth.”
And as for his own nomination, Sutton’s not taking anything for granted. “It’s a huge honor,” he says, grinning. “And if we win, I guess we’ll need a few more Hangover Burgers!”
