Last month I was hungry when the plane landed in Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. I decided to get a bite to eat at the fast food restaurant Burger King. Removing my Whopper, fries, and Coke from the tray revealed very non-traditional tray liner artwork… a scene from the Veg City Airport. Veg City is where the Burger King vegetables live… Live it up, actually.
[click for larger size]
This scene depicts airport security at the Veg City Airport stopping an onion that is not up to Burger King standards. Just like airport security blocks bad people, Burger King similarly screen for only quality ingredients.
You know this onion is bad because they found in his bag: Botox, anti-aging cream, as well as copies of the magazines… “Wet Vegs”, “Playveg” and “Green & Horny.”
Then there’s the surly pickle about to perform a cavity search on the onion. Wow!
This artwork is fun to explore while you’re chomping your burger and fries… But – as I originally asked on my site – is it truly representing the brand Burger King wants to be? And even if there are different standards regarding the appropriateness of nudity in Europe versus the U.S., should Burger King be a different type brand in Europe than in the US?
A Split Audience
I originally posted this on my site on July 7th and have received over 100,000 hits and had to add bandwidth to support the traffic!
The comments I’ve received split into three camps.
- Group 1 – Those that feel this is the coolest artwork.
- Group 2 – Those that are going to boycott Burger King because they don’t want their children exposed to the inappropriate material. (Most people missed the fact that this is a European campaign and wouldn’t be seen in U.S. locations).
- Group 3 – Those that are slamming Group 2 for being so narrow minded. That they should be boycotting Burger King because of their junk food versus cartoon images.
There are a few of you marketers who have commented on my original question… is this tactic appropriate for brand Burger King?
The artwork is part of a series called Veg City supported with an on-line virtual city. In addition to the Airport tray liner other executions include: (click titles to go to view larger images)
Red Light District
Sniper
and two seasonal versions:
New Year’s Eve
Halloween
The campaign for Burger King is by BBDO’s German Group Munich-based agency, .start. I’ve emailed them a couple of times, but have not received a response.
Take a look at the comments to my original post at the Idea Sandbox Blog.
You can view more images at Chrossn’s Flickr Photostream and by visiting the German Veg City website.
Is this adult-themed humor on-target with the Burger King brand? Has BK shifted from competing with McDonald’s as a family restaurant to an adult destination – closer to Hooters?
Share what you think from a marketer perspective. (Put aside moral judgment, if possible).
(Thanks Ads of the World and chrossn’s Flickr Photostream for the links).
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- Burger King of Hip
- Fox, Burger King Seek to Simpsonize Shoppers
- Burger King Launches Branded Games for XBox
- MySpace to Sell ‘24′ Episodes, Burger King a Sponsor
Tags: brand+appropriate, brand+strategy, burger+king, hooters, McDonald's
OK, let’s start with the positives. There is a bit of humor in here–i.e. how BK pokes fun at excruciating experiences such as airport security.
On the other hand, do I want to burn these associations in the minds of my customers–blood with ketchup, a former catchy slogan with a brothel?
While there is something to be said for breaking through the clutter, I personally don’t walk away with positive associations with BK via this ad campaign.
McD is eating their lunch on a global basis (same store sales keep rising). Even if this is an EMEA campaign, is this the right response?
Not exactly “Veggie Tales” is it. But, considering you were in Amsterdam where anything goes…
(BTW, only people whose names are Paul can comment on Paul’s post. :->)
It’s inventive and entertaining – something to look at while you eat. Art has always challenged hang-ups.
I did my grad school thesis on this very topic – should companies adjust their brand strategy to meet the needs/desires/wants of the local market?
The answer is yes–to a degree. Burger King, in this case, maintains their brand essence throughout the campaign – “have it your way” and other core messages come through; this just happens to be a very local execution, one that wouldn’t work here in the States (where it would be considered off-brand and off-color).
I know it’s a worn out adage, but companies do need to think global and act local (especially American brands); and I believe that’s what Burger King has done here. Well.
I think this is hilarious personally but I do agree its a little to R-rated for the U.S. In Europe I’m sure its no more cutting edge than Katy Perry’s “I kissed a girl” in the U.S. Not hard core enough to be banned because its vegetables but maybe a few frowns from some customers…
I’m on the fence. I think it’s really creative and well-executed, but a little racy for BK (based on my US-perspective of their brand). To see an innocent tomato knifed in an alley like that–hurts. If I had to pick a side though I tend to agree with MichelleBB …. for their message to resonate global companies often have make local adjustments, which might mean a slight departure from the traditional view of their brand. It’s racy, but it’s still fun and young, and that’s BK to me.
I think it is ok for Burger King to have two separate brands. They brands are presented in two distinct markets, each with its own customs and moral compasses.
In the end, I think Burger King is testing the skewing towards an older audience. They’ve tested that in the US with the I am Man style ads. But they have to be a lot more conservative with the US Market.
Can we even talk about “local” campaigns anymore? I mean, when BK puts videos of this campaign on youtube and launch a website for this campaign, are they not inviting (whether directly or indirectly) the entire world to view it?
Major brands must realize that any brand activities at the micro level will have ramifications on a macro level.
I don’t have a problem with the BK ads (I’m not offended by them) but I don’t think it aligns with their North American branding. In North America, they have the (somewhat spooky) Burger King king and playgrounds in their restaurants and in Europe they come across as a bit risque. So what does BK stand for?!?!
Salam makes a great point. Remember the media firestorm that occurred with the Absolut Vodka ads in Mexico showing southwestern US as part of Mexico? Absolut ended up apologizing. Not that they didn’t get great press from the campaign…
Also, while I agree that brands must adjust to meet local conditions (McD is one example), the core values of the brand must remain consistent. Starbucks is Starbucks regardless of where you are; BMW’s core values are the same throughout the world; etc…
It’s an interesting concept that the brand should be different based on geography. Setting aside personal response to the art, we have to remember that the definition of cool or hip or desirable varies widely from age group to geography. Burger King is trying to appeal to a younger audience that sees themselves as cool. But in North America they are appealing to a conservative family demographic through a Jonas Brothers (the local “cool factor”) Sponsorship and Crayons give-away. Which is a very different family value and definition of cool than the Amsterdam art.
I would assume (actually really really hope) that they did some brand research to ensure these images and this brand direction resonate with their local target audience. But, it fractures the brand from a family orientation in North America to an edgy direction in Amsterdam. Burger King is a global brand built on the expectation of consistency whether you are in Amsterdam or Topeka. In that sense they risk trying to be too many things to too many people.
As other posters have pointed out, regional is global so their brand portrayal in Amsterdam will arrive in Topeka and people will have a strong reaction — not likely the one they want.
While I agree that depicting violence may have been a wrong turn to take, However, the Airport and Red Light District are hilarious.
The colours, facial expressions, body language all generate entertainment.
I look at it like this…there I am, allowing myself two guilty pleasures. 1) Taking a break during a very busy day 2) taking a break at a fast food restaurant. I have shuffled through lunch hour traffic frustrations, stood in line waiting while someone held up the line while he/she looked up at the menu board for the 99th time (Yes, Yes it has changed since the last time you looked …. they have added three new menu items JUST ORDER!), I have waited for my tray and now–I take a seat in a hard plastic chair (that is too small for my butt, WHY because I keep dining at fast food restaurants) and think about how I need to get to the gym and guilt rushes over me. I start thinking about what I left back at the office, wondering if I will get that report handed in on time–and BAM, there it is on the tray! This colourful cartoon that makes my mind forget about all of those worries. I look closer at the tray and wonder, am I really seeing this at Burger King. So I take an even closer look, and now my nose is nearly on the table because I am so involved in this cartoon that I am thinking of nothing else. Before I know it, my tummy starts to quiver and I let out a rip roaring laugh!
Boy, did that feel good! Now just maybe, I can get through my afternoon after having enjoyed a harmless, hearty chuckle while dining on my guilty pleasures at Burger King.!
This is the point of view of a European citizen… Amsterdam is very different from the rest of Europe… Cannabis is legal, prostitution is legal (Red Light District) in a nutshell, everything that is illegal in the rest of Europe is legal in Amsterdam!
The Dutch have apparently the best creatives in the whole of Europe! No wonder why they come up with that kind of stuff.
The ad is aimed at ‘cannabis holidayers’ hence is quite funny… would love to see what other Europeans have to say about that…
For clarification, these ads aren’t Amsterdam-specific. They are actually German-based. (The Veg City website is all German).
I am a Dutch citizen who gets to ride his bike through the Red Light District on a regular basis…
I still question whether these ads are brand appropriate for BK.
Wow leave it up to the Dutch/Germans to have these kind of ads – they are quite funny but should probably be left to the adult crowd and not available for young eyes to see (which I’m imagining they are). I do find it quite strange that BK would allow themselvs to be portrayed like this… even IF only in another country. It doesn’t seem consistent with their branding at all.
Paul, maybe BK in Europe has decided not to be the place for families but for teens. So, while MD shows happy families, they get a bit outrageous to appeal this age group. If this is the goal, the ads are appropriate.
I would add that these characters are great for a mobile viral campaign.
When I lived in Spain, Burger King and McDonald’s sold beer in their stores so I think this is another case of the companies adapting to local tastes and customs.
They are getting exactly what they want…attention. Whether it’s hillarious or repulsive, when the more people talk about BK, the more people think about BK and then the more people go there to see it therefore increasing BK’s sales.
It’s brilliant none the less.
The answer depends on the target. My guess is most Amsterdam traffic is local (or, at the airport, adult) so yes, the brand should be highly localized, but stick to the core messages (have it your way, fresh ingredients).
Perhaps more importantly, what percentage of the market or targeted growth area is family any more? I believe McD’s, for example, is skewed more urban, teenager, and ethnically diverse than most ad execs would think. If this is targeted to local teens and young adults, it’s awesome … if it’s targeted to travelling families, it’s awful.
P.S. I love it, thanks for sharing it, but I won’t take my 9-year old daughter there … or to Amsterdam at all, for that matter …
Ted,
It seems like a person can come at this from two angles: Personal or Professional.
On a personal level, all you have to do is look at the veg city website and you’ll see what it’s about. The first image (top left) is an image of three veggies in bed together with a bottle of liquor and a whip. One is wearing a nurses outfit and there are panties on the floor. The values applied to the entire campaign are pretty clear to me.
I find the Red light district image frankly, disturbing. I’d be furious if my child got ahold of that (bare nipples, oral sex, etc.) and it would be all to easy for that to happen.
That being said, it’s a free world. I’m free to take my family elsewhere, and I will. We don’t need to eat that crap anyway. Enough said.
ON a professional level, I don’t think it’s right for the brand, and I don’t find it consistent with the brand.
Making the tray liners entertaining is a great idea. Using color, art, life and humor is good. The Onion Assassination is clever and funny…there’s potential here.
Crossing over into vulgar or perverse doesn’t seem necessary. If they truly want to embrace FAMILIES and not just a younger, more irreverent audience, this is a serious misstep.
I find it interesting that they are promoting this at one of largest Airports in the world. Obviously, they’re not concerned about “keeping it on the down-low” or targeted only to a visitor within Holland or Germany. Heck – the porn titles are all written in English.
But really, this isn’t anything new. Ever since they hired Crispin, Porter and Bogusky to do advertising for them, they’ve had varying levels of sexually charged, bizarre and in your face advertising.
You might remember the Le Coq campaign about a band dressed like punk chickens… They rode around in a Limo. I believe one of the ads was about a chicken crossing the road (band member)… I believe this was to promote Chicken Fries. BK also did a U.S. based companion site called “Girls Love Coq” that was summarily taken down after tons of consumer protest. Someone at BK thought this was okay…and these decisions are deliberate.
Before this, there were the bizarre big-headed King montage ads with big-boobed women in short gingham outfits swinging on swings, bending over with burgers on trays etc. Just random weirdness…
Not about the product or the experience at all…bizarre.
Young demographic or not, I think BK is missing the ball as they lose touch with older audiences that have less tolerance for irreverence and vulgarity. They employ a lot of smart people, and it seems to me like they have decided this is an “acceptable loss.”
So, as long as they don’t mind losing audience share within certain demographics… they should continue on this course.
Recently, an inappropriate twitter post from Whole Foods that brought up similar issues and I ended up blogging about it.
http://livepath.blogspot.com/2008/08/social-media-missteps-is-it-okay-for.html
I got similar reactions to yours. Some people think transparency and authenticity should reign – even at the cost of offense. Others disagree. I tend to fit with the latter group.
Thanks for this ENLIGHTENING post!
This example only serves to underline how inexact a science advertising is. This is a clear cut case, yet the experts are divided 50/50 on whether this campaign is a good idea or not (without even addressing its effect on sales).
My take would be that these ads draw attention to themselves rather than the product. They provoke a reaction rather than increased sales.
Anyone seen any stats?
The images are great and I might be able to really enjoy them while eating or simply while looking at them on their own – but – when it comes to Burger King vs. Mc Donald’s I prefer Mc Donald’s and I have for years even though I have gone back to see if there have been any major improvements over the years – we are talking some 35 years of passive brand loyalty – and consistent products -
Paul – I don’t know how I ende up writing “TED” as my address line. Apologies. Thanks again for great article.
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