Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Great marketing strategy or just plain wrong? - You be the judge


By: Cole Buergi, Leonard & Finco Public Relations

With the myriad of news stories and Facebook posts that have gone overboard on both sides of the political aisle in the past year, few things in the news or on social media surprise me anymore. That is, until yesterday when the USA Today ran a story that, for Valentine’s Day, Burger King locations in Israel are offering an adult meal, complete with a sex toy.

No, this is not fake news: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/nation-now/2017/02/14/burger-king-giving-away-sex-toys-adult-meals-valentines-day/97885854/. The adult meal comes with one of three items, a feather duster, head massager or blindfold.

Now I don’t speak for everyone, but I have to believe that most people are thinking, “Really, who would come up such an idea? And, more importantly, why?”

If the idea was to get an attention-grabbing headline, well I would say mission accomplished. If it was for any other reason, then my response is eww! Imagine coming home to your significant other and saying, “Hi love, you’ll never guess what I got at Burger King.” Nothing in my mind could be less romantic. Not to mention your new blindfold smells like a Whopper or French fry grease. Add in that Burger King caters to all age groups and now parents will have to explain why there is a special meal package on the menu for adults only.

What are your thoughts? Is utilizing the “shock effect” the only way to get people’s attention in today’s extremely cluttered information world? Has Burger King entered an area of inappropriate marketing?

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