Sign up for afaqs! Newsletters
Burger King has unhappy meals for unhappy customers
The brand has also lent support to the issue of mental health in the process.
QSR chain Burger King just added a variety of 'unhappy' meals to its American menu. The new additions also come in meal boxes much like the 'Happy Meal' offering from rival brand McDonald's.
As much as the move looks like an outright dig at its rival, it's not the whole story. Burger King's initiative is part of the brand's #FeelYourWay campaign launched in partnership with Mental Health America (an organisation for mental health support) to spread awareness around the issue. The campaign comes in the backdrop of 'mental health month' which is observed during May in the US.
However, worth a mention is the fact that instead of the flashy and attractive packaging of a food brand, the new boxes are rather dull. Meal variants include - Pissed meal, YAAAS meal, DGAF meal, Salty meal, Blue meal - all of which refer to 'bad mood situations. The campaign stresses the idea that it's okay to be unhappy and is a jolt to the make-believe of extra gleefulness, happiness and joy marketed by brands.
The ad opens with the copy, "Not everybody wakes up happy. Sometimes you feel sad, scared crappy. All I ask is that you let me feel my way..." The second line continues to be the central theme of the ad film that features scenarios like a dependent adult man and a young single mother, among others, who are exposed to societal judgement. At a point, it also highlights the smartphone-led digital world as a contributor to the problem.
"A natural extension of encouraging people to 'be their way' is encouraging them to "feel their way." With the pervasive nature of social media, there is quite a bit of pressure to appear happy and perfect. With Real Meals, the Burger King brand celebrates being yourself and feeling however you want to feel," says the Burger King team in a press release.