Smashing Burgers Serves A Purpose
Burger King x David Miami
Here's one way to bully with a purpose:
Bullying a Whopper Jr.? That's exactly what Burger King did with the help of ad agency, David Miami. An in-store stunt, perfectly timed to National Bullying Prevention Month, proved the prevalence of bullying and the lack of involvement from bystanders.
This is why I'm a fan:
Burger King very cleverly brought an in-store stunt to showcase how people continue to tolerate bullying by not standing up for those who become victims to bullying. It worked. And it worked from all angles -- from start to finish. It showcases many elements that were done right:
It was done in an actual local store (Los Angeles), there was a specific focus on only one item in their menu, there were employees in their full uniform, there were teens (or Juniors) to resemble the 'Jr.' in Whopper Jr. naturally, and we also see the behind the scenes of the burger being "bullied" [and not simply what the burger looked like after the fact]. In a sense, we -- the audience -- "see" the burger get bullied. How ironic that we "see" and can't react? And what I believe was the most touching element:
The element of hope.
Showing those who stood up and sharing some of their stories -- giving us insight as to why they chose to stand up for the bullied teen portrayed hope.
The bystanders that didn't act were aware of what was happening, but they just simply chose to not get involved. It's not necessarily selfishness as much as it is, 'minding [their] own business.' But there lies the problem. It's not that people won't get involved but that they think it's not their business to get involved. And naturally, paying for a burger and receiving it under the conditions they received them, they saw it as their business to stand up, physically, by getting out of their seats, walking over, and demanding what they paid for.
At 1:45, the employee asks: "Had you seen me bullying this burger, would you have stood up to say something?" And without hesitation, the customer says, "Yeah!" I expected the employee to then ask him about why he didn't stand up against the verbal [and at one point, physical] bullying that was taking place right before his eyes. But he didn't. He responded with a silent stare. And it turned out to be the best response. Not confronting and not highlighting those who didn't stand up against the bully had meaning behind it, and could be seen as a strategic approach by BK and David Miami in order to place the focus on that lower percentage -- the 12% who most likely than not, are world changers in their own right who stand up for injustice.
This stunt proved the need for stunts like this.
There is hope for this world that every person will see it as their responsibility to do the obvious...
If you "see something; say something, [and do something]."
"...The first step to putting an end to bullying is to take a stand against it.” -- No Bully’s Founder and CEO, Nicholas Carlisle
LEARN MORE & GET INVOLVED:
"No Bully, a resource and advocacy group, says in campaign materials that 30 percent of school kids worldwide are bullied each year, and that bullying is the No. 1 act of violence against young people in America today."
Sources: Adweek