Burger King’s quest for Peace with the McWhopper Campaign long endured even after McDonald’s kind rejection: “We love the intention but think our two brands could so something bigger to make a difference… a simple phone call will do next time.”

ZING? Or, not really?
 

In the country where fastfood rules, Americans were gutted, but that didn’t stop them from slapping the two burgers together themselves! Nothing says supporting Peace One Day like inhaling a 2000+ calorie burger while live broadcasting yourself across social media... am I right?!

For Burger King, this was not only a bold brand move, but a nimble and cheeky one. “Perfect Guerilla Marketing” doesn’t do enough to capture the whole McWhopper spectacle. Instead, this is a case of understanding the connected consumer and the culture of online sharing. What could have otherwise been overlooked brand content, not worthy of a social share, instead manifested to headlines by Buzzfeed and thousands of user-generated stories. McWhopper made noise and a lot of it - making its way into our papers, homes, screens from TVs to mobiles - leaving virtually no stone unturned.

Burger King’s open letter mobilised armies to produce share-worthy content and that is what makes it a winner! The McWhopper illustrates the sheer power and robust nature of user-generated content and its capacity to amplify a brand message beyond anticipation.

Perhaps, we underestimate the clout consumers have and the type of content they can generate. The present is less about media buying and more about earning media via today’s most authentic content generators: the people.

By, Tanja Crnogorac, Brand Strategist, jkr Singapore

McWhopper, Burger King, Y&R NZ (Cannes Lions Winner 2016)