Social Status 04/10/2024
A Whopper of a campaign or a recipe for controversy?
Burger King’s latest campaign, 'Bundles of Joy', may not have looked like a recipe for controversy at first bite, but it certainly stirred up a heated debate. Launched on the 26th of September, the day most babies are born in the UK, the campaign featured real photos of new mothers tucking into a Burger King while cradling their newborns. A clever nod to “delivery time”, right? Well, not everyone thought so.
The ads, rolled out across out-of-home, print, and social media, and racked up over 1.6 million views on Instagram - Burger King’s most-watched Reel this year. But while some applauded the raw, honest portrayal of new motherhood, others weren’t so thrilled. Critics called out the fast-food giant for commodifying one of life’s most personal moments, while some questioned whether a post-labour burger was really the best message to send.
The comments section? A mixed grill. Some celebrated the campaign for its relatability, while others fried the brand with outrage. However, women, the actual target audience, responded largely positively or without the moral outrage others displayed. And let's not forget, Burger King clearly had their eye on a TikTok trend featuring McDonald’s, capitalising on the insight that post-birth hunger is no joke.
This campaign wasn’t just clever; it was raw, real, and - whether you loved or hated it, unapologetically bold. You could almost taste the controversy... or maybe just the burger.
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When a campaign is built on a spot-on strategic insight that resonates deeply with the target audience, do outside opinions really matter?
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