Burger King calls out disgruntled patrons in 911 radio campaign
Burger King is positioning itself as a sixth emergency service for those in need of a full stomach in an eyebrow-raising new campaign employing real 911 calls.
The fast-food chain is promoting its guest feedback program via a series of radio spots featuring actual emergency services call-outs from its customers to encourage others to share their own experiences – but through its dedicated website, rather than a call for help.
Among the unlikely situations is the ‘Harmful Cheeseburger’ spot, where one irate customer demands law enforcement attend to force bemused staff to hand over a Western Bacon Cheeseburger, only to be rebuffed by the confused dispatcher.
In ‘Late Lemonade,’ another caller encounters a lemonade emergency when discovering their local restaurant is all out of the beverage, warning of a 15-minute wait. This proves too much for the impatient guest, who dials 911 to no avail.
Iwo Zakowski, global head of brand marketing at Burger King, said: “We love getting feedback from our guests and finding ways to improve our food and the overall experience for our guests. When we say ‘Have It Your Way’ we truly mean it. Giving feedback in the right channel is crucial, regardless of whether it’s negative or positive – so we’re encouraging our guests to speak their mind in a forum where we can best learn and truly make an impact.”
Nacho Flotta and Nicolas Vara, executive creative directors at David Buenos Aires, added: “These incredible real-life situations help us capture the attention of our audience to talk about something that Burger King is very interested in: its guest experience.”
The head-scratching examples have been pulled together by David Buenos Aires as a humorous way to help Burger King encourage less difficult customers to share their experiences in return for a free Whopper.
Burger King’s marketers have been pushing the envelope of late, most recently with an attempt to win over expectant mothers with some stomach-churning burgers.