Burger King: Whopper of failure
The intention was not that bad. Burger King’s objective was to activate Google Home smart speakers and some Android phones to advertise its Whopper burgers. The smart devices were triggered to provide information on the ingredients of BK’s burgers from the online encyclopedia Wikipedia.
Unfortunately, hackers got wind of this and edited the post, including ingredients such as cyanide and describing the burgers as the “worst hamburger product”. The stunt prompted Burger King to pull the ad.
1 thought on “11 Advertising Campaigns That Backfired Spectacularly”
That McDonalds ad was not at all objectionable. In brief for those who haven’t seen it, a boy (maybe 10 or 11 years old) is asking his mom about his dead father. He is not bereaved, he does not even remember his father who died long ago. His mom points out a number of things in describing him. Each time, the thing about the dad is different than the son. (Sharp dresser, shiny shoes, good at sport, all the girls were attracted to him… while the boy notices his shirt untucked, his sneakers dirty, he kicks a soccer ball and flubs it, and some girls passing by only give him a look of disgust). But when they get to McD and he opens his fish sandwich box, his mom says ‘that was your dad’s favorite too’. For the first time he hears something he has in common with his late dad.
Not a thing in the world wrong with that and the people who spend all their time looking for reasons to be offended should get a life. Nobody was using bereavement to sell sandwiches.