US – Burger King has launched a shock-factor campaign to shine a light on the removal of artificial preservatives in its products.
Presented as a time-lapse video that documents the deterioration of a Whopper burger over 34 days, the campaign shows the burger gradually changing from its freshly made state to an unappealing serving covered with mould. The campaign is born from the brand's continued focus on rolling out its popular Whopper sandwich without preservatives, colours or flavours from artificial sources.
With the additive-free Whopper available in more than 400 restaurants across the US, the brand hopes to amplify the authenticity of its food through this audacious communication strategy, rounding off the campaign with the tag line: ‘The beauty of no artificial preservatives’. Fernando Machado, global chief marketing officer, says: ‘At Burger King restaurants, we believe that real food tastes better. That’s why we are working hard to remove preservatives, colours and flavours from artificial sources from the food we serve in all countries around the world.’
By drawing attention to the uglier side of its products, Burger King is one of many Backlash Brands which are choosing to stand their ground on issues they care about, rather than bowing to consumers’ expectations.