• The Wall Street Journal , Wednesday, August 13, 2008 10:15 AM

Twenty-three-year-old adult-entertainment star Kendra Wilkinson is a Playboy cover model, television star and one of Hugh Hefner's three live-in girlfriends. To the consternation of Olive Garden's marketers -- who have spent millions crafting the franchise's family-friendly image -- she is also a rogue brand ambassador for the Italian restaurant chain.

The San Diego native says she made frequent trips to the restaurant during her childhood, developing a taste for the artichoke dip and the all-you-can-eat salad and breadsticks. She calls it "my soul food." Wilkinson says that when she started praising the restaurant on television and on her very popular MySpace page, it never crossed her mind what the folks at Olive Garden might think.

Executives at Olive Garden decline to discuss the uninvited spokesmodel. One official says the company has tried to walk a fine line with its response, maintaining the chain's wholesome image without alienating potential customers. "I don't feel comfortable talking about this ... because it is a complicated issue for the brand," says Michele Kay, evp of WPP Group's Grey advertising firm, which handles the Olive Garden account.

Read the whole story at The Wall Street Journal »