New Burger King Ads Are Too Hot

     Ask any experienced griller and they'll tell you that flame grills produce a better taste on your burger than any electric grill. This is the main selling point of Burger King's newest ad campaign, which features various photos of real Burger King locations that caught on fire because of their flame grills. These ads are certainly engaging, so let's examine one from a critical advertising perspective.

    In terms of legibility, this ad does its job. There's a minimal amount of copy, only including "Flame Grilled Since 1954" in the right corner, and the time and place of the accident in the bottom left. With minimal copy, the ad gets its point across that Burger King definitely uses flame grills, the better alternative to electric grills. Because the ad has minimal copy, it keeps it from being overcrowded. In this way, we can enjoy the giant image of Burger King on fire. It does not take much time to understand the ad, and concision is key to ad effectiveness.

    In terms of sequence, the ad is well executed. We read the main copy first, and as we move down we see the image that reinforces it. This represents an appropriate hierarchy of information. The emphasis on the burning restaurant itself is important and useful, since it gets the user interested in the ad. The color scheme is straightforward, using colors like red, black, and white to create contrast between the burning fire and the dark night behind it. The red is also important since it's Burger King's main color. There is an overall sense of harmony and balance in the ad, but this isn't so hard to create with the main copy on one side and the main image on the other.

    It's safe to say the ad is consistent with the brand's identity, since Burger King tends to put out ads that emphasize its "bad-ass" nature. They really try to promote the idea of enjoying a good burger, a concept they usually align with masculinity and edginess. Here they are saying that taste is more important than safety. That's about as bad-ass as you can be in a marketing campaign for food.

    While the concept of the ad is cool, we must consider the negatives of producing something like this. People may be turned off to the idea that Burger King promotes taste over human safety. In turn, they may think twice before the next time they step into a Burger King out of fear they might be in danger of being burned alive. Consumers may also be worried if anyone was hurt in these fires, and the ad doesn't specify whether that's true. Also, many people may not know the true difference in taste between an electric grill and a flame grill. If so, the selling proposition fails completely, leaving only the negativity of the fire itself.

    While Burger King's edgy approach should be respected, the negatives do stand their ground. Do they outweigh the positives?

Image source: http://www.adweek.com/creativity/burger-kings-awesome-new-ads-show-actual-bks-that-caught-fire-from-flame-grilling/