Hardee’s Wants To Give Your No-Nonsense Granny $65K

It’s been a minute since Hardee’s had a memorable brand ambassador. In fact, what probably comes to mind when you think “Wait, who’s the face of Hardee’s (and/or it’s step-twin Carl’s Jr.) again?” is probably this star. Literally called The Happy Star, it’s the only consistent face visually associated with the brand. 

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And since Hardee’s is already making moves to enliven its brand, and since history shows we kinda like to have a mascot, at the helm of our fast food favorites, it’s probably a good idea Hardee’s has launched a recent campaign, looking for a new brand ambassador. The most fun part? They want a grandma for the job. (Maybe yours!)

But Not Just Any Ol’ Grandma

Sorry, that was a bad pun. Also, yes, this is a real thing. And, to be honest, in a world where frightening clowns and pigtailed redheads stare down at us as we order our burgers, it’d be nice to have the reassuring warmth and no-nonsense tough love of an actual grandmother as a fast food spokesperson. But Hardee’s isn’t just looking for any grandmother. They’re lookin’ for a meemaw. Specifically, “The Hardee’s Meemaw, a charming, no-nonsense, made from scratch biscuit-loving icon to represent the brand.”

Of course we live in a world where there are a warm, vibrant variety of nicknames for grandmother. But “meemaw” really is a bit of a specialization, a loving nickname for a gran used more often in the South or parts of Appalachia. Caleb Pressley, who hosts the Host of Sundae podcast, and partnered with Hardee’s to launch this nationwide granny search, defines a meemaw as “equal parts sweet, sassy, and just a little mischievous.” (And let’s be real, not all grandmas like hard candy―and not all hard candy is for your grandma, either.)

Meemaw Celebration, Not Meemaw Exploitation

Seriously, Hardee’s isn’t trying to lure in any of our sweet, sassy (mischievous? Did I miss my grandma being sneaky?) grandmas to poke some kind of awful ageist fun at them. The goal of the nationwide search is actually wholesome. In an age where we’re all basically eating nostalgia, Hardee’s (wisely) is looking to evoke “fond memories of sharing meals with their grandparents at Hardee’s.” All they need is America’s perfect meemaw.

All you have to do is submit a video demonstrating that your meemaw, or you (assuming you’re a meemaw) are the “Meemaw [that] knows best.” Upload it to Hardees social media with the hashtag #HardeesMeemaw and wait for the praise to start rollin’ in. No matter what, this all sounds like a lot of fun for you and your meemaw to have, regardless of outcome. But the winning meemaw gets $65K, an app-exclusive Hardee’s meal created in her honor, and yep, that coveted position as folksy first-ever spokes-maw for one of America’s most enduring, low-key nostalgic fast food chains.