Burger King's Whopper Virgins campaign -- some video's out now, you can judge for yourself
A few weeks ago, when Motrin ran a campaign for its pain reliever that riffed on the practice of babywearing -- insinuating that carrying your baby in a sling can lead to back pain -- moms rebelled and Motrin pulled the ad. Is another ad gone bad about to come soon to a TV near you? This one will be courtesy of Burger King, which is teasing a new campaign called "Whopper Virgins" with a short documentary that has people in remote areas of the world taste-testing Whoppers and Big Macs. Given that Burger King sponsored the travels of the crew, who do you think wins?
The legitimacy of the testing isn't what should bother consumers, which the web site says was conducted by independent, third party testers (which I assume is a joke). What might irk people is the concept that Burger King is taking its fat-laden fast-food to people who aren't used to this stuff in their diets, who aren't usual subject to our crass commercialism and who probably don't really care too much. In a remote hill village in Thailand or a farming village in Romania or the tundras of Greenland, do our petty burger wars really matter?
The documentary, directed by former skateboard champion turned documentarian Stacy Peralta (Dogtown and Z-Boys and Riding Giants), will debut on December 6 (or in 5 days, 12 hours, 15 minutes and 30 seconds from this writing, as the countdown clock on the site helpfully displays), and then consumers can decide for themselves. Unless, of course, Burger King thinks better of its effort. Burger King is sending us more information today, so stay tuned for more details.
If the company needs any other examples of bad ads than the Motrin example, then they could just consider history. Taking a foreign diet to people who are not used to it is almost cruel, at the very least it is mocking them through colonialism. And even if you say, hey, this is just a little ad gimmick and really just a joke, then why are we OK using remote cultures as an advertising punchline in this way?
The legitimacy of the testing isn't what should bother consumers, which the web site says was conducted by independent, third party testers (which I assume is a joke). What might irk people is the concept that Burger King is taking its fat-laden fast-food to people who aren't used to this stuff in their diets, who aren't usual subject to our crass commercialism and who probably don't really care too much. In a remote hill village in Thailand or a farming village in Romania or the tundras of Greenland, do our petty burger wars really matter?
The documentary, directed by former skateboard champion turned documentarian Stacy Peralta (Dogtown and Z-Boys and Riding Giants), will debut on December 6 (or in 5 days, 12 hours, 15 minutes and 30 seconds from this writing, as the countdown clock on the site helpfully displays), and then consumers can decide for themselves. Unless, of course, Burger King thinks better of its effort. Burger King is sending us more information today, so stay tuned for more details.
If the company needs any other examples of bad ads than the Motrin example, then they could just consider history. Taking a foreign diet to people who are not used to it is almost cruel, at the very least it is mocking them through colonialism. And even if you say, hey, this is just a little ad gimmick and really just a joke, then why are we OK using remote cultures as an advertising punchline in this way?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 9)
12-02-2008 @ 4:20PM
Brittany said...
People are offended by everything...Gosh just calm down. Obviously , the people that were tested were read their rights, and if it were so offensive the FCC would not let it go on air. People calm down and stop being idiots!!
Reply
12-01-2008 @ 4:03PM
Brian said...
Burger King has already won. They gotten free publicity even before the ad comes out. Doesn't matter if they end up pulling the ad or not.
Reply
12-01-2008 @ 4:42PM
Tom said...
Did you know...
American fast food is almost entirely made of corn
http://www.curiousread.com/2008/11/american-fast-food-is-almost-entirely.html
Also, the amount of preservatives in a McDonalds hambuger is sick...
1996 McDonalds Hamburger - Unchanged because of preservatives
http://www.curiousread.com/2008/09/1996-mcdonalds-hamburger-unchanged.html
Check it out, you wont be eating fast food anytime soon...
12-02-2008 @ 6:18AM
FB said...
Their slogan has already done its intended job.
WORRIED ABOUT TRAILER THEFT?? You need to:
http://www.carrythebigstick.com
12-02-2008 @ 9:09AM
StrayCat9451 said...
LOL Burger virgins!! It's funny, and it will get attention, so I guess it's achieving it's purpose. They really don't care what you think about it, just as long as you think about it. That's advertisement. Personally, I like whoppers, but I can never finish one without getting too full. And I have to have it without the mayo or else they drown it!
-------Trailer theft? bwahahahahaha! Someone drive your house away, FB?? XD
12-02-2008 @ 11:14AM
karen said...
I can't believe they are commenting on this...has anyone seen the arby's commercial?
12-01-2008 @ 4:08PM
richard said...
what in the hell is a vigin as aol has it in blue letters in its article? must be some new kind of critter.
Reply
12-02-2008 @ 8:00AM
Troy Schoolcraft said...
Hell Richard thats a burger that has never been eaten lol
12-01-2008 @ 4:43PM
bob said...
All Burger king food tastes like it was micro waved!
Reply
1-20-2009 @ 9:44PM
SINCITY said...
IT IS -----HAVEN'T YOU SEEN THEM PUT THE BURGERS IN A BOX AND PRESS A BUTTON. DA.
12-01-2008 @ 4:46PM
Ric said...
Burger King is better tasting & you get more burger & trimings than what the McD's Big Mac has. Plus McD is decreasing the size of their hamburgers & hamburger buns for those that have noticed it. McD thinks most people won't notice that.
Reply
12-01-2008 @ 5:00PM
Jeff said...
Yep, I've noticed. I've been calling the "Big Mac" a "Little Mac" for several years now...
12-01-2008 @ 5:07PM
Give me a break said...
Why would anyone be offended by this campaign. Some prudes hear the word virgin and immediately think sex. That's because they are sex starved. The term 'virgin' in this context is used to describe those who have never eaten a whopper from BK. Get your mind out of the gutter people!
Reply
12-01-2008 @ 8:09PM
shirley said...
I'm offended NOT because of the use of the word "virgin", but because Americans think they are superior to all peoples. Americans can't imagine someone unused to the garbage we eat might PUKE when they eat crap like a BK hamburger. They just assume it's going to be loved by the "little people" they've trundled off to find. I hope they really do puke when they eat this trash.
12-07-2008 @ 9:47PM
Just Think About It said...
I find this offensive because Burger King is going to ultra-poverty areas and giving them some burger just so they can tell Americans that their burger is better, and after doing all this, they do nothing to help these poor areas out.
The more you think of it, the more disgusting it seems.
Think about it.......
A large corporation telling some poor and un-civilized(by our standards) with no communication with the rest of the world to eat two burgers that they have never even seen before that seem like treasure to them, and they're telling them to say which one tastes better just so they can sell their burger to Americans.
And then after all of this, they do nothing to help these areas which they know need help.
12-01-2008 @ 5:20PM
Marty said...
Do I understand this correctly?
Burger King is "teasing" a new ad called "Whopper Vigins?
Duh
Reply
12-01-2008 @ 5:24PM
Eric said...
What I would really like to know is where they found Whoppers to feed these people on location? They don't have a BK In Nepal, so where did they get the good 'ol flame broiled Whopper from? Am I missing something here?
Reply
12-02-2008 @ 1:15PM
Stevie said...
You bring up a good point. I didn't think of that until you mentioned it. Haha
12-01-2008 @ 5:30PM
louis said...
I stopped eating at Burger King over 20 years ago, this is when i saw a girl pick her nose in the kitchen and then cleaned her fingers on the work table, continuing to make the hamburgers. I said to myself this would be the last time I eat there and have not since. I figure most of the people that work in the choke and puke joints are teens and most dont give a rats behind ( I am a teacher), drop outs and people that lack education. I have also personally known teens that have spat on hamburgers because they were mad that day or blown their noses in the food. Thanks but no thanks, I have also worked in restaurants, so I know what the deal is. So go ahead and have a nice meal at a choke and puke.
Reply
12-01-2008 @ 6:04PM
Mel said...
You don't think this happens in the higher end restaurants? I hate to be the one to burst your bubble but it does. You had better stay home.