Burger King ‘Moldy Whopper’ ad gross or genius? Twitterati wonders

Burger King has been in the news recently for a recent ad, showing a rotting Whopper covered in mould. The burger chain has made a complete departure from the usual ads that go to great lengths to make food look more appetising than it really is. But as counterintuitive as their approach may seem, Burger King intended to send out a strong message with the mouldy burger ad.

Earlier, the burger chain had announced that it will stop using artificial colours, flavours and preservatives to enhance their food. The spot, which was shared on their social media accounts, is therefore in line with their promise of offering healthier options to the consumers.

The ‘Moldy Whopper’ ad has been conceptualised by Ogilvy’s INGO and David Miami. It also seems to take a dig at their biggest competitor, whose burgers are believed to last for years without spoiling – indicating the heavy use of preservatives.

 Here is the ad:

View this post on Instagram

the beauty of real food is that it gets ugly. that’s why we are rolling out a whopper free from artificial preservatives. coming by the end of 2020 to all restaurants in the U.S.

A post shared by Burger King (@burgerking) on Feb 19, 2020 at 5:01am PST

The ad started trending on social media soon after it was launched on Wednesday. While some lauded Burger King for their unorthodox approach, others were figuratively left with a bad taste in their mouths. Here are some of the most interesting reactions to the mouldy burger ad on Twitter:

About to try this new burger from Burger King that everyone has been raving about.

#BurgerKing pic.twitter.com/02t5e28IOD

— Cake Brownie ? (@1oftheKates) February 21, 2020

Burger King pushed the envelope with the Moldy Whopper campaign to show that they are doing away with using artificial additives. Do they get a Pat or Slap? #PatonBrands #BurgerKing #moldywhopper pic.twitter.com/gYQsnP4M4f

— Pat Mahlangu (@iam_patmahlangu) February 21, 2020

Observation: The lettuce, that is covered in mayonnaise, is the last thing to go. That supports my view that foods containing mayo (like potato salad) will be fine if left out at a picnic. In fact, will stay safe longer. The vinegar in mayo is a natural preservative.#BurgerKing

— Bev Cross (@BevCross1) February 21, 2020

Has #BurgerKing usurped #Gillette with the shittiest ad campaign ever?

— ThatLARRYSHOW (@ThatLARRYSHOW) February 21, 2020

Anyone but Trump. #BurgerKing pic.twitter.com/HCr9yTGa8K

— (((Rich Siegel))) (@glasgowdick) February 21, 2020

Restaurants Owner : Any suggestions for the leftover food?

Ad Agency : Leave it for few more days. When it got rotten, click pictures & use it as for your new ad campaign.

Restaurant Owner : ?@BurgerKing #BurgerKing #moldywhopper https://t.co/jnuttx07dI

— Sandip G (@SandipG_) February 21, 2020

I think a lot of people out there are confusing the word ‘brave’ with the word ‘wrong’ #BurgerKing #advertising pic.twitter.com/ZMAqeplM58

— Tony Prysten (@tonyprysten) February 21, 2020

Me voting in 2016 vs me voting in 2020. #BurgerKing #haveityourway pic.twitter.com/ZaBsmqGAtc

— Queen L'Antifa (@WStuartross) February 21, 2020

#burgerking just won the argument https://t.co/8FfdMAHilf

— Rokaya (@Rokayasahara) February 20, 2020

All of you idiots at #BurgerKing find this funny? Don't you IDIOTS think people will associate a moldy burger with #BurgerKing? Very bad marketing.https://t.co/rWOm2httsp

— Donald Rohrbacher (@DonaldRohrbach2) February 19, 2020

This #BurgerKing ad just makes me not want ANYTHING they sell. Anything! https://t.co/TArWKcDRGt

— Yvette (@DMVyvette) February 20, 2020

What a bold move by #BurgerKing
Brilliant advertising!! https://t.co/jUOXCXXYPZ

— Purvi Asar (@Purvi_A) February 20, 2020

#BurgerKing redefined the basic rules of advertising

— Malek A. Khatib (@Malek_A_Khatib) February 20, 2020

So you’re implying that any food using preservatives is “fake”? This fear-mongering tactic of yours doesn’t sit right with me... #burgerking #fearbasedmarketing

— Sam Harva (@samharva) February 20, 2020

@McDonalds you’ve got balls?#BurgerKing #ads pic.twitter.com/foXa7vCwCg

— Ovidiu MUCA (@OvidiuMUCA) February 20, 2020

I’m so tired of fear-based marketing in the food industry. The scare tactics and misinformation is just furthering our already burdened relationship with food in America #burgerking #allfoodisrealfood

— Sam Harva (@samharva) February 20, 2020

Between #MacDonalds and #BurgerKing, are you NOT entertained?!! pic.twitter.com/jXoOhu80Sk

— -oBii- (@oBiii) February 20, 2020

It's brilliant really. Especially if you do a side by side with a 5 year old cheeseburger from McDonald's that looks the same as the day it was purchased. Viewers are missing the point.

— Nick's Garden (@NicksGarden) February 19, 2020

The jury is still out on whether Burger King's audacious move is foolhardy or sheer genius. But the restaurant chain has managed to generate a lot of social media chatter around the brand, which is a big win in itself.