Anyone who knows me knows my hatred of chain fast food… Except when I’m on the road. On the road, I permit myself one gross, fattening, disgusting fast food meal, with the serenity that when I get back to NYC, I’ll do an extra lap around the park to make up for it.

Well, having been invited to speak at the 2006 PMA Show in Orlando, Florida, I have yet another chance for fast food. This time, my arteries were destroyed by Hardees 2/3rd of a pound "Monster Burger." Made famous by a great PR launch in late 04, where they basically said "screw healthy," it was covered nationwide. NYC, unfortunately, doesn’t have a Hardees.

So my delight as I inhaled this monstrosity knew no bounds. But check out the box! They took quotes from all the media, and put them on their packaging! Brilliant!! They’re quoting American Morning!

Who are they pitching? Who gets the message? The people on line with me at the store couldn’t care less…  Hell, the people on the line in the Hardees I was in probably thought CNN’s American Morning was a top-20 country song countdown. But that doesn’t matter. They’re proud, and showing it. For free, on all their products. Costs them nothing, promotes brand awareness, promotes company loyalty and excitement, makes the bosses/investors/marketing people/staff happy. Brilliant move. Bravo, Hardees.

Oh, and the Burger was insane. I can’t eat for a month now, (considering purging as I write this,) but my GOD, was that a good heart-stopping burger. Where the hell is my Stacker 3???