=Carl's Jr · TBWA\New Zealand · New Zealand · October 2026
Nobody leaves a one-star burger review expecting a reward. In New Zealand, they now get one. Carl's Jr's One-Star Swapper invites anyone who has panned another burger chain to upload a screenshot of the review and swap it for a free Famous Star. It's the latest outing for the brand's We Don't Do Subtle platform, and it keeps the promise: the competition's worst reviews become Carl's Jr's sampling programme.
The Challenge
Carl's Jr is a challenger in New Zealand's burger market. Its stated aim was new trial: getting people who buy their burgers elsewhere to try a Famous Star, without running yet another ad claiming its burgers are better.
What They Did
At 1starswapper.co.nz, a custom-built web app checks screenshots of one-star reviews people have left at other burger chains. Each successful swap earns a voucher for a free Famous Star, redeemable at any Carl's Jr in the country. Every swap also enters a draw for CJ's cowboy hat. CJ is the platform's rhinestone-clad mascot, and his hat unlocks a year of free Carl's Jr., provided the winner wears it to order. A launch video explains the swap, with production by The Post Office and media by PHD.
Why It Works
Peet's Coffee once swapped screenshots of rival loyalty balances for a free drink. Carl's Jr asks for the opposite proof: disappointment. Loyal customers are the hardest people to move. Someone who took the time to write a one-star review is probably the easiest. Customers wrote the reviews before Carl's Jr got involved, in their own words, so the brand never says anything rude about anyone. My favourite detail is that the entry rule does the media planning: every voucher lands with a burger buyer who has just told the internet they want something better.
Creative Deviance: Provocation
Burger ads talk up their own burgers. Carl's Jr pays people to bring it bad news about the competition. The provocation comes from a consumer habit rather than shock: people already post their burger letdowns in public, and Carl's Jr simply answers them. Because CJ and the We Don't Do Subtle line front the work, the cheek lands on the right brand.
The Tactic
Creative Earning and Redemption Mechanics → Reward Category or Rival Behaviour
What to Steal
Let the entry rule find your best prospects. Carl's Jr didn't need targeting data to reach unhappy rival customers. Its qualifying condition did that, and the reward went only to people who had proven they were open to switching. Before you choose the prize, decide what someone must already have done to deserve it.
The Question That Could Get You There
What could people do with another brand that earns a reward from us?
Or, more pointedly: what complaint about our rivals could people cash in with us?
