Candid Camera Concept Catchy for Pizza Hut and Carl's Jr/Hardees

Earlier this year, Yum Brands Pizza Hut launched it's new pasta offering by setting up a fake restaurant named Tuscani, serving their new pasta and then video taping the diner's reactions when they told them it was pasta from Pizza Hut. Superadgrunts see one of the ads below:

CKE's Carl's Jr and Hardees have this week launched a new campaign with the same the same fake restaurant idea. The ad campaign "Fake Restaurant" fooled consumers into thinking that the expensive burger they just ate was worth $14 or $20 when it actually came from the Carl's Jr. and Hardee's chains. Just like the Pizza Hut campaign, it captures on hidden camera the experiences of customers who believed they were eating expensive burgers at a fancy restaurant. Mendelsohn|Zien created the concept and a series of 30-second spots started airing Tuesday in Hardee's markets, and will begin airing in Carl's Jr. markets on June 22.

And not to be outdone, before even Pizza Hut, there were the Burger King "Freak Out" spots. Granted they didn't have the fake restaurant concept, but did use the candid camera idea as well.