Whopper Freakout Campaign Brilliant
- Posted by Julia Shea on January 21st, 2008
filed in Advertising |
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I saw the Whopper Freakout TV commercial for the first time last night with my teenage sons and it had us all in stitches. Talk about break-through. Imagine Candid Camera at Burger King. It starts with an ultra serious announcer…”We stopped selling the Whopper for one day to see what would happen…”
Innocent customers doing the most normal thing in the world to them - ordering their beloved Whopper - are told by workers (actors), “We’re sorry, but the Whopper has been discontinued.” Total disbelief, disorientation, outrage and sadness are captured via hidden camera as people react to this obviously distressing news.
“WHA…WHA….WHAT???!”
“You can NOT be serious.”
“I want your manager at the window when I get there please.”
“I could cry…”
“It’s a huge mistake. It’s the best burger nationwide.”
People go on and on about the burger, recounting their childhood and years of tradition. Vignettes of folks of all ages and gender literally “freaking out” makes this a strong seller for a diverse target. The announcer concludes with “What happened was people freaked.”
The call to action, whopperfreakout.com, is a mini-site with a 7- minute video showing more in depth emotional reactions. Like Candid Camera, the video includes a happy ending, whereby customers are told the truth by a dressed-up Burger “King” who presents them with a Whopper. Whew!
Way to go Burger King. It’s the best burger spot I can recall since Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?” ads. Really different, really entertaining and brilliantly effective in communicating the “cherished Whopper” message. Check out one of the spots below or see the entire campaign at whopperfreakout.com. Let us know what you think.