Ad of the week: Introducing the McWhopper

In what can only be described as a brilliant PR stunt, earlier this week Burger King publicly reached out to McDonald's with their proposal to create 'The McWhopper'. 

On Wednesday the fast food chain advertised their intent to combine their infamous burger with Mcdonald's iconic Big Mac. This would be for one day only to mark and raise awareness of Peace day, which is held annually on September 21. Apart from running ads in The New York Times and The Chicago Tribune, BK set up a dedicated website which suggested opening a pop-up restaurant with staff from both companies creating and selling 'The McWhopper’.  Naturally the sales would be donated with 'Peace One Day' being identified as the charity of choice.

Shortly afterwards, Mcdonald's ceremoniously declined the offer on their Facebook page, stating “We love the intention but think our two brands could do something bigger to make a difference.” This was both a sly dig at Burger king and a statement that begrudgingly recognised the brilliance of their closest rival's marketing ploy. 



Many voiced their opinions of the proposed collaboration on social networks. According to social media tracking firm, Spredfast, Burger King has been mentioned in conversation 42 per cent more than McDonald’s. Moreover, the hashtag ‘#McWhopperProposal’ was used 9,198 times with ‘#McWhopper’ in second with 8,341 mentions and ‘#SettletheBeef’ in third with 2,882.

The fast-food chain saw an opportunity to use social media not only to promote the brand's CSR, but also take a clever jab at its main competitor. As Jim Rudden, chief marketing officer of Spredfast, puts it; 

“This move is on-brand for Burger King...consumers love to see brands having some fun with one another on social media...Social media can be a real catalyst for change and this is an example of that. They've got my attention, for sure." 

But as much as I think it is an excellent PR stunt, part of me can't but resent the fact 'The McWhopper' will never be made. And I don't think I am alone in my disappointment.