Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Burger King
Burger King
Burger King
Pass the Mustard up local awards for its ad campaigns. A Sunglass Hut
In early 2004, as Burger King’s CEO Brad Blum billboard featured a huge pair of sunglasses with the
reviewed the company’s 2003 performance, he Headline “What to Wear to a Nude Beach.” Because
decided once again that he had to do something to its clients often had little money for advertising, CPB
spice up BK’s bland performance. Industry leader found inexpensive ways to gain attention. For a local
McDonald’s had just reported a 9 percent sales jump homeless shelter, it placed ads on shopping cart, trash
in 2003 to a total of$22.1 billion, while number - two dumpsters, and park benches.
BK’s U.S. sales had slipped about five percent to $7.9 In 1997, with Bogusky serving as creative
billion. Further, number-three Wendy’s sales had director, CPB finally got national attention with its
spiked 11 percent to $7.4 billion, putting it in position “Truth” campaign aimed at convincing Florida teens
Blum surprised the fast-food industry by abruptly research, actually talking to teens in order to “get
firing the firm’s advertising agency, Young & inside their heads.” CPB found that cigarettes allowed
Rubicam (Y&R), and awarding its global creative teens to establish identities, associate with brand
account to a small, Miami- based, upstart firm Crispin names, and take risks. To counter this, CPB created
Porter + Bogusky (CBP). The switch marked the fifth the “Truth” logo and turned it into a brand. It
time in four years that BK had moved its account! plastered the logo on everything from posters to t-
Ad agency Y&R had gotten the $350 million BK shirts, developed a “Truth” Web site, and staged
account only 10 months earlier. To help revive BK’s impromptu live “Truth” parties around the state.
sales, it had developed a campaign with the theme Between 1998 and 2002, teenage smoking in Florida
“The Fire’s Ready,” which focused on BK’s flame- declined 38 percent. The American Legacy
broiled versus frying cooking method. However, Foundation picked up the “Truth” campaign and
observers found the message to be flat and turned it into a national promotion, leading to a big-
uninspiring, and the sales decline sealed Y&R’s fate. budget ad at the Super Bowl - the “Shards O’Glass
Freeze Pop.”
CPB followed with an award-winning, low-
Challenging Conventional Wisdom
budget campaign for the BMW Mini Cooper auto. It
In announcing the CPB selection, Blum indicated
decided to violate conventional wisdom and launch
he had challenged the firm to develop
the U.S. campaign without TV advertising. It placed
“groundbreaking, next-level, results-oriented, and
the Minis inside sports stadiums as seats and on top
innovative advertising that strongly connects with our
of SUVs driving around town. It got the car included
core customers.” BK automatically became the small
in centerfold pictures in Playboy and in movies like
firm’s largest customer, but CPB was not without all
“The Italian Job.” It also created street props such as
impressive track record.
a coin-operated children’s ride as well as Mini games,
Chuck Porter joined Crispin Advertising in 1988.
Mini booklets, and Mini suitcases. When BMW
A middle-aged windsurfer, he wanted to be near the
finally introduced the Mini in spring 2002, the
water. Alex Bogusky joined the firm later as a 24-
waiting list was six months long.
year-old art director who raced motorbikes. The
Similar success with IKEA furniture and Virgin
Prter-Bogusky combination clicked, and CPB racked
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Week 8 Case Study
Atlantic Airways forged CBP’s reputation as an out- wave a wing at the camera, as if to say “no-no.”
of-the-box, results-oriented agency. Along the way, it Below the chicken video area were five other
developed some lose “rules.” Among them were: zero icons. “Subservient TV” featured three video clips
in on the product, kick the TV commercial habit, find with various people “having their way” with the
the sweet spot (the overlap between product chicken. “Photos” presented five “glamour” shots of
characteristics and customer needs), surprise = buzz = the chicken. The “Chicken Mask” icon produced a
exposure, don’t be timid, and think of advertising as a printable chicken mask that one could print, cut out,
product rather than a service. and wear. The mask’s instructions were to “cut along
dotted line, put on chicken face, be subservient.” A
Back To the Future fourth icon, “Tell a friend,” pulled up an Outlook
Within a month of getting BK’s account, rather Express emai1 document that invited you to send an
than recommending some kinky new idea, CBP email to a friend with the text: “Finally, somebody in
recommended going back to the firm’s “ Have It a chicken costume who will do whatever you want.
Your Way”, tagline, developed by back BK’s second Check it out. www.subservientchicken.com ” Finally,
advertising agency, BBDO, in 1974. CPB argued that an icon marked “BK Tendercrisp” took the visitor to
it could take that old phrase and make it relevant to the Burger King home page. This was the only
Uncharacteristically, CBP kicked of the new CPB’s desire to avoid seeming too commercial and
campaign with TV commercials that were a takeoff “uncool.” Unless a visitor clicked on that last icon, he
on a British comedy series, “The Office.” In a series or she would have no indication that the site had
of off-beat office workers compete and compare their anything to do with Burger King.
“made my way” BK burgers, reinforcing the message When CPB launched the site, it told only 20
that each customer can have a burger just as he or she people - all of whom were friends of people who
wants it - no matter how unusual that might be. CBP worked at the agency. Within the first 10 days, 20
planned an entire package of promotions around the million people visited the site, with the average
new-old theme, including everything from in-store visitor spending over seven minutes. Many visitors
signage to messages on cups. apparently selected the “tell a friend” icon, sending
Then, however, the real CPB approach emails flying like feathers.
2
Week 8 Case Study
Discussion Questions:
1. Who is BK’s target audience and what are its
communication objectives for that audience?
2. Why is viral or buzz marketing effective?
Analyze the design of the subservient chicken
site’s message, including content, structure, and
format. What can you conclude from this
analysis?
3. Do the TV and viral elements of the Burger king
campaign work well together? What additional
elements and media might CPB add to the
integrated marketing communications campaign?
4. What other recommendations would you make to
Burger King and CPB to help them improve the
integration of BK’s promotion mix?
5. Briefly review the fast food industry in Korea.
After choosing one company in the industry,
identify its key marketing problems and suggest
your own marketing recommendation to deal
with the problems.