Okay, Burger King, we'll bite.
Burger King debuted a new burger this past weekend in San Francisco to coincide with Pride Week. The Proud Whopper is exactly the same as an original Whopper, only wrapped in rainbow-colored paper with the words "We are all the same inside." The message being that people, much like fast food burgers, are good, but also messy, fatty, and often cheesy.
Because no corporate good dead goes unprofitable, BK put together a promotional video to go along with the event. Even in San Francisco, some people were clearly uncomfortable with the idea of an out and proud burger. One bystander in the video says, "If that's what they're going to do, they won't be having my business anymore," before Googling "Chick fil A + San Francisco."
Most customers appeared to be burger-curious and open to trying the Proud Whopper. “I cried in there because I was overwhelmed. A burger has never made me cry before," said one customer who obviously never ordered the pepper jack cheese and jalapeño-covered Angry Whopper.
Not surprisingly, the video has already chapped the ass of the people BK's market research team told them it would. People like Herman Cain, who tweeted out a link to an ignorant, tasteless article on his website.
That's probably fine with Burger King, who realize the future of their business depends on open-minded millennials and their money, not older, tightly-wound cranks under strict doctor's orders to stay away from places like Burger King.
(by Jonathan Corbett)