Hey, No Whopper on the Menu?!
Ubiquitous
February 8, 2008; Page B3
Depriving Whopper fans of their favorite burger turns out to be a
surefire way to get them to buy more.
That, at least, is Burger King's conclusion from its "Whopper Freakout"
online and TV ad campaign. Timed to celebrate the flagship burger's 50th
anniversary, the ads showed what happened at two Burger King outlets in
Nevada when -- in a hoax filmed by hidden cameras -- customers were told
the Whopper had been taken off the menu.
The reaction was stunned outrage. "What are you going to put on the logo
now -- home of the 'Whatever we got'?" cried one patron, shown on the
ads. Another, shown in a longer video posted online, said "What, that is
your thing though...Oh my God."
Burger King, which began running the TV ads Dec. 9, credits the campaign
for helping boost Whopper sales in the quarter that ended in December by
a double-digit percentage. It "drove significant brand relevance and
incremental sales," executives said on an earnings conference call last
week.
The videotaped hoax was a twist on a market research technique called
"deprivation research," in which marketers measure how loyal consumers
are to a brand or product by taking it away from them. The insight
gained helps marketers design new marketing and ad ploys that will
resonate better with consumers.
A range of marketers have tried the technique. Dunkin' Brands' Dunkin'
Donuts, for instance, two years ago forced a group of its customers to
drink Starbucks coffee for a week instead. Verizon Wireless also tried
it a year ago, getting a group of teens, at least half of them Verizon
customers, to give up using cellphones -- theirs or anyone else's -- for
a weekend.
"It's a great tool to understand what role a product plays in peoples
lives," says Lesley Bielby, chief strategy officer at Interpublic
Group's Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos, who helped conduct the
research for Dunkin' Donuts and Verizon. Still, experts say it's rare
for the method to be used in actual consumer advertising.
Burger King has been conducting deprivation studies for several years,
getting small groups of people considered core customers by the
fast-food chain to voluntarily forgo eating Whoppers. As part of the
experiment, the people kept food diaries so Burger King could analyze
what they ate instead.
Russ Klein, the chain's chief marketing officer, says he conducts such
research because fast-food customers are "promiscuous" when it comes to
food choices.
"While our core customers frequent Burger King five times a month, they
frequent other fast-food restaurants 11 times a month," he says. Burger
King hopes the research will help it improve customer loyalty.
To celebrate the Whopper's big birthday, Burger King and its ad firm --
MDC Partners' Crispin Porter + Bogusky -- decided on an elaborate
version of the deprivation experiment. The mission: to prove Americans'
deep allegiance to the famous burger.
Staged at two Las Vegas outlets over two full days, the chain brought in
actors to play the role of cashiers. Eight hidden cameras recorded the
results.
The experiment went one step further than Burger King's previous
deprivation studies. In another twist, some customers, who asked for a
Whopper, were given burgers from rivals such as McDonald's and Wendy's.
The result: Irate customers ended up returning the burgers, sometimes
disparaging the competing brand. "I hate McDonald's," said a young male
consumer.
All this was captured on film, overseen by documentary filmmaker Henry
Alex Rubin, who was hired to ensure the film looked authentic. The final
result was an eight-minute online video and a string of TV commercials
that began running in December.
Since kicking off two months ago, the video has been played 3.3 million
times on a special Burger King Web site and has had 357,367 views on
YouTube. More importantly, Burger King says it helped sell burgers.
Staging what Crispin calls a "colossal prank" wasn't without hiccups. In
the planning stages the agency had to abandon any thought of using
outlets in Los Angeles because of the difficulty of navigating
California laws governing when people can be secretly videotaped. As
some of the action was filmed outdoors, when consumers left the store,
New York was ruled out because of the cold temperature. Crispin chose
Nevada, in part, for its eclectic mix of people from around the country.
Another challenge: All the consumers who walked into the stores during
the experiment had to be chased down afterward to sign release forms so
they could be shown in the video and ads. Not everyone could be caught
in time. One irate consumer who demanded Burger King's "corporate
number" to call in his complaint was so upset he jumped in his pickup
truck and drove off. Crispin was forced to keep the footage under wraps.
"His reaction was great. We are still looking for the guy," says Rob
Reilly, Crispin's co-chief creative officer.
Anim8rFSK
Ubiquitous <web...@polaris.net> wrote:
> Since kicking off two months ago, the video has been played 3.3 million
> times on a special Burger King Web site and has had 357,367 views on
> YouTube. More importantly, Burger King says it helped sell burgers.
It's yet another plank in their platform to keep me away.
--
Star Trek 09:
No Shat, No Show.
http://www.disneysub.com/board/noshat.jpg
remys...@yahoo.com
Ken from Chicago
"Anim8rFSK" <ANIM...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:ANIM8Rfsk-64F48...@news.west.cox.net...
> In article <L9ydnUqfGYFTdWfa...@giganews.com>,
> Ubiquitous <web...@polaris.net> wrote:
>
>> Since kicking off two months ago, the video has been played 3.3 million
>> times on a special Burger King Web site and has had 357,367 views on
>> YouTube. More importantly, Burger King says it helped sell burgers.
>
> It's yet another plank in their platform to keep me away.
The Whopper rules! It's flame broiled! What do you have against it?
-- Ken from Chicago
Victor Velazquez
Sure it's flame broiled. Then frozen. Then microwaved. Mmmm-MMMM!
But their deep-fried tacos are ten kinds of awesomelicious.
Unique
L9ydnUqfGYFTdWfa...@giganews.com,
> Russ Klein, the chain's chief marketing officer, says he conducts such
> research because fast-food customers are "promiscuous" when it comes
> to food choices.
>
> "While our core customers frequent Burger King five times a month,
> they frequent other fast-food restaurants 11 times a month," he says.
> Burger King hopes the research will help it improve customer loyalty.
So Burger King's "core customers" are fat slobs who eat fast food 16
times a month. And apparently 5 visits a month out of the 16 isn't
enough for Burger King. They want it all.
> Another challenge: All the consumers who walked into the stores during
> the experiment had to be chased down afterward to sign release forms
> so they could be shown in the video and ads. Not everyone could be
> caught in time. One irate consumer who demanded Burger King's
> "corporate number" to call in his complaint was so upset he jumped in
> his pickup truck and drove off. Crispin was forced to keep the
> footage under wraps.
>
> "His reaction was great. We are still looking for the guy," says Rob
> Reilly, Crispin's co-chief creative officer.
Awwwww. How sad. They drove one of their loyal customers nuts and they
don't get to show it on TV.
--
DVDs for sale: http://unique-dvd.com
165 Banned Cartoons, The Unknown War, Centennial Miniseries,
Holocaust, Pearl, Amerika, Space, George Washington, Anzacs,
Marco Polo, Rich Man Poor Man, Peter the Great, Noble House,
and more...
Barry Margolin
"Unique" <akjs...@akjsfdsa.biz> wrote:
> Ubiquitous <web...@polaris.net> wrote in message:
> L9ydnUqfGYFTdWfa...@giganews.com,
>
> > Russ Klein, the chain's chief marketing officer, says he conducts such
> > research because fast-food customers are "promiscuous" when it comes
> > to food choices.
> >
> > "While our core customers frequent Burger King five times a month,
> > they frequent other fast-food restaurants 11 times a month," he says.
> > Burger King hopes the research will help it improve customer loyalty.
>
> So Burger King's "core customers" are fat slobs who eat fast food 16
> times a month. And apparently 5 visits a month out of the 16 isn't
> enough for Burger King. They want it all.
Variety may be the spice of life, but it's not good for business.
--
Barry Margolin, bar...@alum.mit.edu
Arlington, MA
*** PLEASE don't copy me on replies, I'll read them in the group ***
Olde Tech
> Ubiquitous <web...@polaris.net> wrote:
>
>> Since kicking off two months ago, the video has been played 3.3 million
>> times on a special Burger King Web site and has had 357,367 views on
>> YouTube. More importantly, Burger King says it helped sell burgers.
>
> It's yet another plank in their platform to keep me away.
>
I haven't set foot in a BK since one of those news programs (I think it was
20/20) did a story on health code violations in the fast food industry and
revealed that collectively the king had the most nationwide.
Forge
I can't believe how stupid and gullible people actually are. PT Barnum
was right except he got the scale wrong - there's a sucker born every
five seconds. All the bullcrap hype will never change the fact that
Burger King sucks worse than the filthy two-bit corner diners it ran out
of business in the process of spreading to every third street corner in
the US. Who the fuck wants a hamburger that's been microwaved? And who
wants it served to you by a school kid who's so stupid he couldn't get a
job in the mall, probably barely speaks English and couldn't possibly
care if he gets your order right or even in the ballpark. It has been
ten years since I got what I ordered at Burger King; I keep going back
once every year or so to see if they still suck, and yup, they do.
Forge
kwicker1...@comcast.net says...
> The Whopper rules! It's flame broiled! What do you have against it?
It's BOILED, put hastily through a flame broiler, then it rests in a
tray of slime water until it's time to make it into a burger, at which
time it's microwaved and put in the sandwich. I'll pass.
Victor Velazquez
I am so with you...except for those tacos. Stupid, sexy tacos!
Goro
> In article <47fbaed3$0$30677$4c368...@roadrunner.com>,> > L9ydnUqfGYFTdWfanZ2dnUVZ_umln...@giganews.com,
>
> > > Russ Klein, the chain's chief marketing officer, says he conducts such
> > > research because fast-food customers are "promiscuous" when it comes
> > > to food choices.
>
> > > "While our core customers frequent Burger King five times a month,
> > > they frequent other fast-food restaurants 11 times a month," he says.
> > > Burger King hopes the research will help it improve customer loyalty.
>
> > So Burger King's "core customers" are fat slobs who eat fast food 16
> > times a month. And apparently 5 visits a month out of the 16 isn't
> > enough for Burger King. They want it all.
>
> Variety may be the spice of life, but it's not good for business.
>
which is why these fast food places all expand their menus to
encompass just about everything. Then a few years later, they have to
cut back to their "Core menu" b/c managing all that stuff gets
increasingly complicated.
-goro-
aroberts
"Victor Velazquez" <k-ca...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:N5qdnQMTTP6592ba...@comcast.com...
Along with torch-hot pickles and catsup. It may taste like crap, but hey,
it's convenient for them.
aroberts
"Forge" <fo...@killallspammers.youneedageek.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.22665f812...@newsgroups.comcast.net...
There was an character in here about a year ago who was offended that I said
that their burgers were microwaved. He lapsed into making the argument
that disparaging BK was tantamount to being against American capitalism.
What BK lacks in food, they must be able to compensate with some compelling
brainwashing.
If they would divert only one percent of their marketing budget into
improving their food--getting back to basics with a real flame-broiled
burger--they might not be losing market share.
Eat a whopper and you'll pass alright--for the next two days. Nasty stuff.
Anim8rFSK
"aroberts" <a-rob...@comcast.net> wrote:
> "Forge" <fo...@killallspammers.youneedageek.com> wrote in message
> news:MPG.22665f812...@newsgroups.comcast.net...
> > In article <ZvidnYHnlLAhrGba...@comcast.com>,
> > kwicker1...@comcast.net says...
> >> The Whopper rules! It's flame broiled! What do you have against it?
> >
> > It's BOILED, put hastily through a flame broiler, then it rests in a
> > tray of slime water until it's time to make it into a burger, at which
> > time it's microwaved and put in the sandwich. I'll pass.
>
>
> There was an character in here about a year ago who was offended that I said
> that their burgers were microwaved. He lapsed into making the argument
> that disparaging BK was tantamount to being against American capitalism.
Uh - what's American about Burger King?
> What BK lacks in food, they must be able to compensate with some compelling
> brainwashing.
>
> If they would divert only one percent of their marketing budget into
> improving their food--getting back to basics with a real flame-broiled
> burger--they might not be losing market share.
>
>
> Eat a whopper and you'll pass alright--for the next two days. Nasty stuff.
--
aroberts
> In article <-d-dnc-toqUp7mDa...@comcast.com>,
> "aroberts" <a-rob...@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>> "Forge" <fo...@killallspammers.youneedageek.com> wrote in message
>> news:MPG.22665f812...@newsgroups.comcast.net...
>> > In article <ZvidnYHnlLAhrGba...@comcast.com>,
>> > kwicker1...@comcast.net says...
>> >> The Whopper rules! It's flame broiled! What do you have against it?
>> >
>> > It's BOILED, put hastily through a flame broiler, then it rests in a
>> > tray of slime water until it's time to make it into a burger, at which
>> > time it's microwaved and put in the sandwich. I'll pass.
>>
>>
>> There was an character in here about a year ago who was offended that I
>> said
>> that their burgers were microwaved. He lapsed into making the argument
>> that disparaging BK was tantamount to being against American capitalism.
>
> Uh - what's American about Burger King?
Good question. His entire argument was a non sequitur. He seemed to be the
only person on the planet who didn't realize that their so-called burgers
were nuked.
Pap...@webtv.net
and then nuked rat burgers. I bet you people love Twinkies and
Strawberry milk for breakfast.
aroberts
<Pap...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:9752-480...@storefull-3276.bay.webtv.net...
> What a sick, sophomoric society we live in. Screaming for these frozen,
> and then nuked rat burgers. I bet you people love Twinkies and
> Strawberry milk for breakfast.
Based on what I have read (and written) here, you do mean _those_ people...
:-)
Justin Pate
Burger King has the best-tasting cheese anywhere. I don't care if it's
fake. What's a better tasting cheese? I've never tasted it. Cheddar sucks
in comparison, so we know that's not the one.
aroberts
"Justin Pate" <JP5...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:48023126$0$25934$4c36...@roadrunner.com...
I guess that is a good example of subjectivity in all things.
Pap...@webtv.net
Did you know that the average 20-30 yr. old is walking around with a 260
cholesterol level; from all that goooooood crap?
sarah...@gmail.com
wrote:
>
> It's BOILED, put hastily through a flame broiler, then it rests in a
> tray of slime water until it's time to make it into a burger, at which
> time it's microwaved and put in the sandwich. I'll pass.
That's interesting! Can anyone who's currently worked in a BK confirm
this? I worked in one many years ago (1980, to be precise) and the
burgers were cooked by placing the frozen patty on a conveyer belt
that took it through the flame broiler. It was then put right on the
burger.
Admittedly this was before microwave ovens, but no trays of slime
water were involved and nothing was cooked until the order was
placed. But if that's the way they're doing it these days - ICK!!!
aroberts
<sarah...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:23710bf8-cb0c-4bda...@l64g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
On Apr 9, 6:07 am, Forge <fo...@killallspammers.youneedageek.com>
wrote:
>
> It's BOILED, put hastily through a flame broiler, then it rests in a
> tray of slime water until it's time to make it into a burger, at which
> time it's microwaved and put in the sandwich. I'll pass.
That's interesting! Can anyone who's currently worked in a BK confirm
this? I worked in one many years ago (1980, to be precise) and the
burgers were cooked by placing the frozen patty on a conveyer belt
that took it through the flame broiler. It was then put right on the
burger.
I had no problem with them when they did it that way. Now, they use the
micro for the burgers and some ground, mealy potato slurry that gets
extruded into particularly vile ersatz fries. A triumph of food chemistry.
Anim8rFSK
<23710bf8-cb0c-4bda...@l64g2000hse.googlegroups.com>,
sarah...@gmail.com wrote:
It was apparently going on even in your day, or so McDonald's claims.
From 1982:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,923010,00.html?iid=chix-
sphere
"broiling is not all that Burger King does to its burgers; after the
meat is flame-cooked, the patties are kept warm in steam cabinets and
then reheated in microwave ovens just before serving."
One assumes the "slime water" is the steam cabinets.
aroberts
> in the time it takes to speak at the menu and then reach the window.
> Do they? No matter where you go, the burgers have at least been
> pre-pared to nearly done, with the finishing touches just prior to
> serving. That's why you can't get a rare burger, aside from the
> health risks and litigation.
>
It's not hard to accomplish a short-turn burger at a drive-through during
peak times, and it doesn't require pre-cooking. A good manager knows how
many burgers to stage on the grill so that there is a continual group of
patties ready to serve. The original conveyor at BK made this easy, because
it cooked the thin patties from both sides, without the attention of a
grillman.
Anim8rFSK
"It's the Principle!" <bran...@kittylitternewsguy.com> wrote:
> Anim8rFSK <ANIM...@cox.net> wrote in rec.arts.tv:
>
> > In article
> ><23710bf8-cb0c-4bda-be8f-1f262d62ae46
> @l64g2000hse.googlegroups.com>,
> > sarah...@gmail.com wrote:
> >
> >> On Apr 9, 6:07 am, Forge <fo...@killallspammers.youneedageek.com>
> >> wrote:
> >> >
> >> > It's BOILED, put hastily through a flame broiler, then it rests
> >> > in a tray of slime water until it's time to make it into a
> >> > burger, at which time it's microwaved and put in the sandwich.
> >> > I'll pass.
> >>
> >> That's interesting! Can anyone who's currently worked in a BK
> >> confirm this? I worked in one many years ago (1980, to be
> >> precise) and the burgers were cooked by placing the frozen patty
> >> on a conveyer belt that took it through the flame broiler. It
> >> was then put right on the burger.
> >>
> >> Admittedly this was before microwave ovens, but no trays of slime
> >> water were involved and nothing was cooked until the order was
> >> placed. But if that's the way they're doing it these days -
> >> ICK!!!
> >
> > It was apparently going on even in your day, or so McDonald's
> > claims. From 1982:
> >
> > http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,923010,00.html?
> iid
> > =chix- sphere
> >
> > "broiling is not all that Burger King does to its burgers; after
> > the meat is flame-cooked, the patties are kept warm in steam
> > cabinets and then reheated in microwave ovens just before
> > serving."
> >
> > One assumes the "slime water" is the steam cabinets.
> >
>
> People don't actually think you can cook a burger from its raw state
> in the time it takes to speak at the menu and then reach the window.
> Do they? No matter where you go, the burgers have at least been
> pre-pared to nearly done, with the finishing touches just prior to
> serving. That's why you can't get a rare burger, aside from the
> health risks and litigation.
>
> If you want a real flame broiled burger from start to finish, you go
> to a mom & pop shop and wait 10 minutes or so.
>
> My cat wouldn't eat McD burger meat. Never figured out why.
She doesn't like kangaroo?
Anim8rFSK
> I think it was that 100% beef. Ears, eyes, hooves...
Could be 'bef' as seen on Cheers.
Forge
says...
It tastes good because it's 85% fat, 10% salt and 5% mystery gack
flavorings.
Forge
ANIM...@cox.net says...
> One assumes the "slime water" is the steam cabinets.
Originally a tub of warm water with of course a healthy layer of burger
grease on it, thus "slime water." The steam cabinets must've come later.
Forge
ANIM...@cox.net says...
> Could be 'bef' as seen on Cheers.
I thought that was "meef."
Justin Pate
And? Fat is where the flavor comes from.
Pithy and Original
"Forge" <fo...@killallspammers.youneedageek.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.226d00cbe...@newsgroups.comcast.net...
Mmmmmmmmmm................. my favorite three of the basic food groups
Forge
> >> Burger King has the best-tasting cheese anywhere. I don't care if it's
> >> fake. What's a better tasting cheese? I've never tasted it. Cheddar
> >> sucks
> >> in comparison, so we know that's not the one.
> >
> > It tastes good because it's 85% fat, 10% salt and 5% mystery gack
> > flavorings.
> >
>
> Mmmmmmmmmm................. my favorite three of the basic food groups
Hehehe. The grease group, the salt group, the corn chip group, and the
high-fructose corn syrup group. Oh and the sausage group.
Matt Barry
I know that the older process (which I know was still being used in some
stores as recently as about five years ago) involved the process you
describe with the frozen patty sent through the broiler, then placed on a
toasted bun and held in a steamtray for a period of time.
The current system involves storing only the toasted bun in a steam tray,
while the meat is stored seperately in plastic trays which is what others
here are describing when they refer to the "slime water" which does indeed
stay in these trays (interestingly, a certain amount of that "water" is
supposed to stay in the tray, presumably to help keep the meat from drying
out, but once it becomes too filled, they are emptied). These trays are
stored in small, heated compartments but the meat is still microwaved after
being placed on the bun, along with certain condiments that can be put in
the microwave.
I don't particularly care for having the pickles, catsup and mustard on a
hamburger heated along with the meat that way.
--
Matt Barry
View my films at: www.youtube.com/comedyfilm
Read my blog at: http://filmreel.blogspot.com
Anim8rFSK
"Matt Barry" <bar...@bellatlantic.net> wrote:
Wait wait wait. They TOAST a bun, and then store it in a STEAM TRAY?
Doesn't sogginess ensue?
> while the meat is stored seperately in plastic trays which is what others
> here are describing when they refer to the "slime water" which does indeed
> stay in these trays (interestingly, a certain amount of that "water" is
> supposed to stay in the tray, presumably to help keep the meat from drying
> out, but once it becomes too filled, they are emptied). These trays are
> stored in small, heated compartments but the meat is still microwaved after
> being placed on the bun, along with certain condiments that can be put in
> the microwave.
Sounds like a bacterial breeding ground.
>
> I don't particularly care for having the pickles, catsup and mustard on a
> hamburger heated along with the meat that way.
Yeah, I think the hot condiments are the breaking point for a lot of
people, and why they assume it's microwaved in the first place.
I do remember liking their onion rings. Haven't been to a BK in years
(not even sure where one still exists near me).
Matt Barry
It does, especially if the water levels in the steam holder get too high,
but there is a "holding time" for the buns, after which they are to be
thrown out. The system, essentially a giant steam tray, uses a holding tank
filled with hot water, and a small grate on which the buns sit, in thin
metal trays (providing a small layer between the bun and the grate to
prevent sogginess as best as possible). During non-peak hours, very few if
any buns are stored in the steam trays as they would pass the "holding time"
and have to get tossed. During a lunch rush, however, it's almost impossible
to keep them filled long enough since it can be so busy.
Anim8rFSK
"Matt Barry" <bar...@bellatlantic.net> wrote:
Got it. thanks!
Ubiquitous
>Wasn't this all New Coke's idea? And they called him an idiot.
Except that unlike Coke, BK really ISN'T changing their signature menu item.
--
It is simply breathtaking to watch the glee and abandon with which
the liberal media and the Angry Left have been attempting to turn
our military victory in Iraq into a second Vietnam quagmire. Too bad
for them, it's failing.
Ubiquitous
>Who the fuck wants a hamburger that's been microwaved?
They are?
It's the Principle!
> By SUZANNE VRANICA
> February 8, 2008; Page B3
>
> Depriving Whopper fans of their favorite burger turns out to be a
> surefire way to get them to buy more.
>
> That, at least, is Burger King's conclusion from its "Whopper
> Freakout" online and TV ad campaign. Timed to celebrate the
> flagship burger's 50th anniversary, the ads showed what happened
> at two Burger King outlets in Nevada when -- in a hoax filmed by
> hidden cameras -- customers were told the Whopper had been taken
> off the menu.
>
> The reaction was stunned outrage. "What are you going to put on
> the logo now -- home of the 'Whatever we got'?" cried one patron,
> shown on the ads. Another, shown in a longer video posted online,
> said "What, that is your thing though...Oh my God."
>
> Burger King, which began running the TV ads Dec. 9, credits the
> campaign for helping boost Whopper sales in the quarter that ended
> in December by a double-digit percentage. It "drove significant
> brand relevance and incremental sales," executives said on an
> earnings conference call last week.
>
> The videotaped hoax was a twist on a market research technique
> called "deprivation research," in which marketers measure how
> loyal consumers are to a brand or product by taking it away from
> them. The insight gained helps marketers design new marketing and
> ad ploys that will resonate better with consumers.
>
> A range of marketers have tried the technique. Dunkin' Brands'
> Dunkin' Donuts, for instance, two years ago forced a group of its
> customers to drink Starbucks coffee for a week instead. Verizon
> Wireless also tried it a year ago, getting a group of teens, at
> least half of them Verizon customers, to give up using cellphones
> -- theirs or anyone else's -- for a weekend.
>
>
> "It's a great tool to understand what role a product plays in
> peoples lives," says Lesley Bielby, chief strategy officer at
> Interpublic Group's Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos, who
> helped conduct the research for Dunkin' Donuts and Verizon. Still,
> experts say it's rare for the method to be used in actual consumer
> advertising.
>
> Burger King has been conducting deprivation studies for several
> years, getting small groups of people considered core customers by
> the fast-food chain to voluntarily forgo eating Whoppers. As part
> of the experiment, the people kept food diaries so Burger King
> could analyze what they ate instead.
>
> Russ Klein, the chain's chief marketing officer, says he conducts
> such research because fast-food customers are "promiscuous" when
> it comes to food choices.
>
> "While our core customers frequent Burger King five times a month,
> they frequent other fast-food restaurants 11 times a month," he
> says. Burger King hopes the research will help it improve customer
> loyalty.
>
> To celebrate the Whopper's big birthday, Burger King and its ad
> firm -- MDC Partners' Crispin Porter + Bogusky -- decided on an
> elaborate version of the deprivation experiment. The mission: to
> prove Americans' deep allegiance to the famous burger.
>
> Staged at two Las Vegas outlets over two full days, the chain
> brought in actors to play the role of cashiers. Eight hidden
> cameras recorded the results.
>
> The experiment went one step further than Burger King's previous
> deprivation studies. In another twist, some customers, who asked
> for a Whopper, were given burgers from rivals such as McDonald's
> and Wendy's. The result: Irate customers ended up returning the
> burgers, sometimes disparaging the competing brand. "I hate
> McDonald's," said a young male consumer.
>
> All this was captured on film, overseen by documentary filmmaker
> Henry Alex Rubin, who was hired to ensure the film looked
> authentic. The final result was an eight-minute online video and a
> string of TV commercials that began running in December.
>
> Since kicking off two months ago, the video has been played 3.3
> million times on a special Burger King Web site and has had
> 357,367 views on YouTube. More importantly, Burger King says it
> helped sell burgers.
>
> Staging what Crispin calls a "colossal prank" wasn't without
> hiccups. In the planning stages the agency had to abandon any
> thought of using outlets in Los Angeles because of the difficulty
> of navigating California laws governing when people can be
> secretly videotaped. As some of the action was filmed outdoors,
> when consumers left the store, New York was ruled out because of
> the cold temperature. Crispin chose Nevada, in part, for its
> eclectic mix of people from around the country.
>
> Another challenge: All the consumers who walked into the stores
> during the experiment had to be chased down afterward to sign
> release forms so they could be shown in the video and ads. Not
> everyone could be caught in time. One irate consumer who demanded
> Burger King's "corporate number" to call in his complaint was so
> upset he jumped in his pickup truck and drove off. Crispin was
> forced to keep the footage under wraps.
>
> "His reaction was great. We are still looking for the guy," says
> Rob Reilly, Crispin's co-chief creative officer.
>
>
>
Burger King is the fast food of last resort. Every once in a while
I feel the need for their chicken sandwich or the sauce that they
give with the onion rings (which I dump on the chicken sandwich).
The thing is, I avoid their place BECAUSE OF the horrendously stupid
and insulting advertising. I assure you I would have gone there
more often if their bug bunkin chicken hadn't resonated in my brain
at the time I was thinking "what do I want for lunch." They may get
a few people to come in out of fear of the loss of a menu item, but
those people are STUPID and I hope I my feelings account for a
number of people they lose with such inanity.
Clearly their target audience is the drunk or high people who are
similar in mentality to the people who (1) dream up the campaign
ideas, and (2) approve them. I don't feel need to feed the losers
of the free market. If it's idiots they want, it's idiots they can
have. There are better choices in both menus and ad campaigns at
other drive-thru junk food merchants.
--
Brandy Alexandre
Inspiring. Isn't it? A government of the people for the people...
and answerable to the people. At least that's the idea... -- Tom
Zarek
Anim8rFSK
Ubiquitous <web...@polaris.net> wrote:
> fo...@killallspammers.youneedageek.com wrote:
>
> >Who the fuck wants a hamburger that's been microwaved?
>
> They are?
yes
along with the condiments
Anim8rFSK
"It's the Principle!" <bran...@kittylitternewsguy.com> wrote:
> Burger King is the fast food of last resort. Every once in a while
> I feel the need for their chicken sandwich or the sauce that they
> give with the onion rings (which I dump on the chicken sandwich).
> The thing is, I avoid their place BECAUSE OF the horrendously stupid
> and insulting advertising.
Yes.
Same notation for that last round of Wendy's ads.
Anim8rFSK
"It's the Principle!" <bran...@kittylitternewsguy.com> wrote:
> Burger King is the fast food of last resort. Every once in a while
> I feel the need for their chicken sandwich or the sauce that they
> give with the onion rings (which I dump on the chicken sandwich).
> The thing is, I avoid their place BECAUSE OF the horrendously stupid
> and insulting advertising. I assure you I would have gone there
> more often if their bug bunkin chicken hadn't resonated in my brain
> at the time I was thinking "what do I want for lunch." They may get
> a few people to come in out of fear of the loss of a menu item, but
> those people are STUPID and I hope I my feelings account for a
> number of people they lose with such inanity.
>
> Clearly their target audience is the drunk or high people who are
> similar in mentality to the people who (1) dream up the campaign
> ideas, and (2) approve them. I don't feel need to feed the losers
> of the free market. If it's idiots they want, it's idiots they can
> have. There are better choices in both menus and ad campaigns at
> other drive-thru junk food merchants.
I'm just waiting for people to actually start ramming each other in the
drive-thru line, and the lawsuits to begin.
ravenlynne
> In article <fvjemn$c2b$5...@news.utelfla.com>,
> Ubiquitous <web...@polaris.net> wrote:
>
>> fo...@killallspammers.youneedageek.com wrote:
>>
>>> Who the fuck wants a hamburger that's been microwaved?
>> They are?
>
> yes
>
> along with the condiments
>
If anyone thinks they're getting a fresh burger from any fast food joint
(maybe with the exception of Backyard Burger) then I have some stuff to
sell them cheap.
--
Leah: That were a wee bit repulsive.
Buffy: Went okay. 'Cept I feel a little wierd about using a
crucifix to kill someone.
Leah: Yeh dinno much about religion, do yeh?