Whopper Sacrifice, Burger King's Facebook Promotion: Delete 10 Friends For Free Whopper

Burger King has created an application for Facebook that allows users to delete 10 friends in exchange for a free Whopper.

Taking Klondike's "What would you do for a Klondike Bar?" motif to the next level, Burger King invites Facebook users to sacrifice 10 of their friends on the social networking site for a coupon for a free sandwich:

"What would you do for a free WHOPPPER? Now is the time to put your fair-weather web friendships to the test. Install WHOPPER Sacrifice on your Facebook profile, and we'll reward you with a free flame-broiled WHOPPER when you sacrifice 10 of your friends."

Sacrificed friends show up in a user's news feed.

AdWeek offers more details on the promotion:

The effort crafted by Crispin Porter + Bogusky came about after agency creative staffers confronted the too-many-friends scenario themselves on Facebook.

"We thought there could be some fun there, removing some of these people who are friends [but] not necessarily] best friends," said Jeff Benjamin, executive interactive creative director at Crispin, and friend to 736 on Facebook. "It's asking the question of which love is bigger, your love for your friends or your love for the Whopper," he said.

The app also adds a box to user profile pages charting their progress toward the free burger with the line, "Who will be the next to go?"

Comments

[pjlowry]

Hmmm... I think I'll add 10 random 'friends' today and then dump them tomorrow.

:)

[aceholiday]

the laugh alone was worth it. id rather have some ciniminis though

[Mikeeee]

GW was going to get in on this, but came up 9 friends short.

[CoryOBrien]

Since many Facebook users were already looking to trim down their friend list, it was smart of Burger King to capitalize on this desire and give out some free food in the process. Plus, it was controversial enough to get them tons of press coverage without being too offensive or mean.

My full review of the campaign: http://thefutureofads.com/2009/01/09/burger-king-lets-people-sacrifice-friendships-for-whoppers/

[carrieanna]

clever

[WorkingClass]

This offer is incredibly cynical. I wish I had thought of it. People taking advantage of this offer are selling their "friends" for twenty four cents. How much for your little sister?

[GretaR]

How many friends for a [vegan] Whopper without the meat? ...Not that I do Facebook ("look at me, look at me...won't someone please look at me!").

[billstewart]

I'm a vegetarian too, and I like the Veggie Whopper (but if you want it vegan you'll have to skip the mayo.)
Obviously that's enough basis to become friends on Facebook (which I don't use either) and delete each other to get our Whoppers :-)

[hey0there]

surprise, the veggie whopper is placed on the same grilling mechanism as the regular hamburgers, your veggie burger is dripping with animal fat. enjoy.

[hulagirrrl]

I haven't had any taste for their burgers since they scared me away with the ugly big King commercial, and their commercials are getting less funny every time. I believe they want to turn us off and go to the competition...

[dandypuddin]

this is business news?

[hey0there]

no thanks I dont eat dog food.

[AngusC]

It works, my brother did it today.

[InofTouch]

so computer friends are more important and then real food

[4TJefferson]

What's new about this? They have been sacrificing the health of men, women & children for years; what's a few friends.

[Ramirez]

BK is an excellent fast food joint and the Whopper rocks.

I'm keeping my Facebook friends but I just might go out to BK for dinner TONIGHT!. Woo hoo.

[harrymellon]

I don't eat animals, fish, birds, people etc But this is ingenious marketing.