Carl’s Jr. Sends Creative Ad Account North

At a time when the Los Angeles advertising industry is already staggering, an unexpected blow was landed on Monday when Carl’s Jr. handed the creative portion of its $25-million advertising business to a San Francisco agency.

Winning the business is Goodby, Berlin & Silverstein, an upstart ad firm perhaps best known for its carefully crafted ads for Royal Viking Cruise Line. The move by the Anaheim-based fast-food chain owned by Carl Karcher Enterprises will bring one of the nation’s hottest agencies to the market.

With this win, Goodby, Berlin is expected to open a Los Angeles office. The agency now posts annual billings in excess of $75 million and employs upwards of 75 people.

Executives from Carl’s and Goodby, Berlin declined comment on Monday.

“This will mean even fewer jobs in an already tough market,” said Gerald D. McGee, managing director of Ogilvy & Mather’s Los Angeles office, a finalist for the business.

Although Goodby, Berlin is only 8 years old, it has quickly gained national stature. Earlier this year, it won the New Yorker magazine’s ad business, and last year it was handed the National Basketball Assn.’s ad account.

Los Angeles-based Western International will continue to place Carl’s ads on TV and radio. The agency Della Femina, McNamee split with Carl’s earlier this year.

For Carl’s--which has a fraction of the advertising budgets of rival giants McDonald’s and Burger King--the move is clearly an attempt to air advertising that cannot be ignored.