Hardee’s to Ad Agencies: May I Take Your Bid?

Hardee’s Food Systems Inc. has invited more than 50 agencies nationwide to bid on the $80-million Hardee’s burger chain advertising account. Mendelsohn/Zien Advertising in Los Angeles, which handles advertising for Hardee’s parent, CKE Restaurants Inc., won’t be bidding on the account. Mendelsohn will continue to handle test-marketing for dual-menu restaurants featuring food from both Hardee’s and CKE’s Carl’s Jr. chain. Hardee’s plans to have an agency on board by mid-February, said a spokesman for Los Angeles-based Strategics, which is working with Hardee’s. The work is currently being handled by Team One Advertising of El Segundo, which picked up the business when it hired Leonard Pearlstein as its co-chairman last week. Pearlstein had created ads for Hardee’s.