In 2005 Carl’s Jr. made a super sexy commercial for its burgers, casting Paris Hilton, heiress of the Hilton Hotels chain and pop culture icon of the early 2000s, as its testimonial. The girl washes a car in a swimsuit while biting into a hamburger, in a deliberately provocative mix. The overtly sexy tone generated uproar and controversy, especially over accusations of sexism. Despite the criticism, or perhaps because of the criticism, the commercial achieves enormous media impact.
