Ad of the Day: Burger King apologizes for confusing meat lovers with plant-based Whoppers
Burger King’s latest campaign with David Madrid is confusing meat lovers as it continues to reinforce its commitment to offering plant-based alternatives.
Burger King and David Madrid’s ‘Meat?’ campaign
‘Meat?’ plays on the visual similarities between animal-based products and meat-free options with a striking, very close up series of print and out-of-home (OOH) ads with the tagline: “Sorry for the confusion, meat lovers”
On closer inspection of the ad imagery, meat lovers may be surprised to realize they are actually looking at red pepper, beetroot and radicchio.
“Many times, guests can’t tell the difference between the traditional Whopper and the plant-based Whopper,” said André Toledo, executive creative director at David Madrid.
“So we challenged a food photographer and a food stylist to shoot some vegetables in a way that would make them look like meat. The idea was to create ads that would make people ask themselves ‘Wait, is this meat or is this a plant?’”
The campaign will be rolled out in Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil and Germany.
“At Burger King, our plant-based products often feel, taste and look like real meat; yet many guests are skeptical,” added Iwo Zakowski, head of global brand marketing at Burger King.
“We wanted to bring a visually powerful message that makes you reconsider that not everything in life is what it seems to be. At Burger King, there is always something on the menu for everyone.”
