DMB&B has taken a fresh look at Burger King with a new TV campaign that
uses a light-hearted approach to appeal to the fast-food giant’s target
market of 16- to 24-year-olds.
Two TV executions, breaking next week, focus on a central character and
the extraordinary lengths he will go to for a bite of a Burger King
burger.
Set in San Francisco, the ads feature Barnaby Stone, a mime artist, who
entices members of the public to get involved in his quest for the
ultimate burger.
One ad shows Barnaby with one arm in a sling, sitting on a bench,
desperately trying to enlist the help of passers-by to give him a hand
to eat a Burger King Whopper. The idea is encapsulated in the line: ‘You
can’t eat a Whopper single-handed.’
In the second spot, Barnaby chases around the city streets on a classic
50s Lambretta wearing a helmet decorated with a cockerel motif. He is
also sporting an instant snapshot of a BK Chicken Flamer on a string
around his neck, which he shows to pedestrians as he searches for a
Burger King restaurant.
The ads were directed by Edmundo at Jane Fuller Associates. They were
written by Steve Boswell and art directed by Steve Drysdale.
John Prior, the European marketing director of Burger King, said: ‘Our
advertising will appeal to younger adults who respond to this off-beat
style of humour and want to be cajoled and involved in the advertising,
not preached at.’
