Burger King’s breakfast push leaves a bad taste
I’ve always rated Burger King as something of an interesting brand when it comes to marketing. Think Subservient Chicken and the meat-scented cologne, Flame.
You’ll then appreciate just how disappointed I was when I heard about its latest campaign in the UK where it has launched what it’s dubbed “the world’s first guilt free showercam”.
Very simply, it’s a website where young men can watch a different woman every morning taking a shower in their bikini.
Everyday, people can vote for the song and outfit the “shower babe” will wear the next day and you can even win a date with one of them.
The point of this campaign? To promote Burger King’s breakfast menu.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m all for selling sex to push a brand – when appropriate. When BK launched its “celebrity fragrance with a hint of flame grilled beef” in the US and UK, one of its ads featured a photo shopped chiseled-looking Piers Morgan, a Britain’s Got Talent judge and former Daily Mirror editor. It was cheeky and clever.
But this new digital campaign just doesn’t gel with me. And yes, I know I’m not the target audience, but I do feel that it goes so far in one direction that it risks alienating other consumer groups who, surprise surprise, probably don’t mind the odd bacon and egg muffin in the morning as well.
Hungry Jack’s in Australia, which is the franchise of the international Burger King Corporation, takes a different approach to the breakfast market. Yes, it has also targeted young, male consumers, but has so far resisted the temptation of using women in bikinis to flog its food.
It’s also interesting to see how McDonald’s has approached the breakfast market. Granted as the dominant player its customer base is already strong, but it takes a more inclusive rather exclusive approach. And quite frankly if I was a mass market brand, I know which ad strategy I’d be leaning more towards.
Camille Alarcon
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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Leaving aside whether it’s effective, what about the fact it’s demeaning (to both sexes)? Whatever happened to selling food based on its taste and quality? Oh that’s right, there’s none of either to speak of.
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Seems a little on the nose…..but will anyone with influence care it they grab market share and the ad is placed so as to reach mainly its core audience.
What will be interesting is how they follow up once they’ve snared the audience and set out to keep them – with sleazy as a brand personality trait.
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have examined the validity of the comment posted by me via oneelevenrev@yahoo.com on stolen ad concepts via an adio tape through a private investigator i will not go away till you start investigating this unethical practice .start with the anz ads and the swing ad/younger brother of daddo
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let’s appeal to the lowest common denominator – men who spend their lives hoping for a wardrobe malfunction but are too stupid to find their way to real porn on the internet 🙂 WTG, Burger King
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