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Burger King’s ‘re-moulded’ new ad stars a month-old Whopper…
Burger King USA recently announced that they were removing preservatives from their food materials and their new ad is a gross testament to that fact.
American fast food franchise Burger King, recently announced that it is removing artificial preservatives, colours and flavours from its signature ‘Whopper’ burger. It’s competitor, McDonald’s removed artificial additives from seven classic burger variants in 2018. Burger King’s ad strategy has largely been against McDonald’s, but this ad is free of references to the rival fast food chain.
The ad shows the Whopper decomposing in a time-lapse style film. It’s interesting to note that there is a deliberate absence of food colouring and other special effects that food photographers commonly use, to make the burgers seem more appealing. The 45 second ad takes us through the ‘journey’ of a Whopper and by Day 34, it’s covered in decay and is barely recognisable.
"We believe that real food tastes better," Restaurant Brands International Global Chief Marketing Officer, Fernando Machado said in a statement, reported by CNN. "That's why we are working hard to remove preservatives, colours and flavours of artificial sources from the food that we serve in all countries around the world."
Whopper fans in the United States may have already tasted a preservative-free Whopper without realising it. The company also mentioned that the preservative - free new whoppers have already been rolled out in the United States. "The product is already available in more than 400 restaurants in the country and will reach all restaurants throughout the year," says Christopher Finazzo, president of Burger King's Americas division, in a statement reported by CNN.
Closer to home, in India, this comes hot on the heels of Burger King’s Valentine’s Day campaign that took a dig at Ronald McDonald – the yellow and red clown famously known as the McDonald’s mascot. The campaign prompted users to upload a selfie and tag Burger King India on social media channels. Winners stood a chance to win a free Whopper on Valentine’s Day.
Burger King always seems to have the last word while going all out and dragging its rivals. One of the brand’s most talked about campaigns of yesteryear, was a campaign driven by augmented reality. The ad invited users to hold up their phone camera to a burger king ad and via an AR filter, ‘burn’ the ad.