Burger King + Fellatio = Good Marketing?
I’m not a huge fan of Burger King’s advertising. It can be funny. It can be edgy. But I’m not sure it makes me want to eat Burger King food. And isn’t that kind of the point? Recently, Burger King debuted a new ad campaign to coincide with the release of the BK Super Seven Incher. If the words “Super Seven Incher” have you giggling to yourself, just wait.
To say the ad is edgy is a bit of an understatement. How do I put this delicately? The ad appears to equate the BK Super Seven Incher with, well, a penis. Furthermore, it appears to equate enjoying a BK Super Seven Incher with, well, performing oral sex. Don’t believe me? Check it out for yourself below.
The agency responsible for the campaign is Crispin Porter & Bogusky, one of the more well respected national agencies. While Burger King’s marketing has drawn raves from the advertising community, it has done little to help the restaurant chain catch up with McDonald’s, as detailed in a recent article at AdAge. Hmm. Maybe consumers in the middle of a recession are more interested in value and quality of service than sophomoric humor.
What do you think? Am I being a prude or is this ad in exceptionally poor taste? Sure doesn’t make me want a Super Seven Incher.
UPDATE:
This ad was not produced by Crispin Porter & Bogusky. According to AdFreak, this ad comes from Singapore.
I personally would much rather see this advertisement than that stupid BK King guy with the plastic head. He reminds me of a reject BeeGee. Creepy.
That said, I don’t care for any advertising that BK does. Including this one. Doesn’t make me want to eat there. I’m also not sure who this is targeted at…
I think the average woman who saw this ad and also ate at BK might shy away from this 7 incher due to the size and the fact that the ad kinda paints the eater as a bit whorish… straight guys might shy away from it now because the sandwich has been compared to a penis… something the average straight guy isn’t going to want to put in there mouth, especially with buddies “hey dude, watch what i can do with this sandwich!”. So that leaves gay guys (who don’t eat at BK often) and lesbians (who want nothing to do with anything phallus related).
Pointless advertising.