A tweet by Burger King UK, endorsing its rival fast-food joint McDonald’s went viral on Monday night. After years of trolling its arch-nemesis McDonald’s in advertisements and on social media, on November 2, Burger King UK shared a sentimental post asking its fans that despite the competition, it wants its fans to ‘Order from McDonald’s’ too.
Burger King issued a surprising decree in a show of support for the restaurant industry as England enters a second national lockdown to curb the coronavirus. “We never thought we’d be asking you to do this,” began the tweet.
Highlighting a sign of the desperate times, the ad aimed to remind people that food outlets are suffering at the hands of the pandemic, causing widespread unemployment as a result.
“We never thought we'd but the restaurants employing thousands of staff really need your support at the moment. So, if you want to help, keep treating yourself to tasty meals through home delivery, takeaway, or drive-thru,” the advertisement read.
Adding a line that made many fans emotional, Burger King UK ended the decree with: “Getting a Whopper is always best, but ordering a Big Mac is also not such a bad thing.”
According to some international news reports, other than its social channels, the print ad was placed in two French national newspapers - L’Équipe and Le Journal du Dimanche.
Anyone who follows Burger King on social media will notice that this is extremely out of character. The burger joint is often seen as trolling McDonald’s.
Last week, the fast-food joint played a Halloween stunt on its rival, where it installed voice-recognition software in its toilets, trained to listen out for the words ‘cancelled clown’. When uttered three times, the lights of the toilet dimmed, and an eerie Ronald McDonald appeared.
Twitter users across the globe loved the apparent gesture of goodwill.
Tweep @Smith_A_Naidu posted: “Thanks for the encouragement and reminder for us to help each other out. My respect for you doubled.”
Tweep @ocrossborder tweeted: “Brave marketing, also a generosity of spirit in these tough times. Well done.”
And, @Toadsanime wrote: “Pure class. Hope your store staff, social team, etc. all manage to pull through.”
On Saturday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a four-week lockdown to fight COVID-19 as infection rates are projected to rapidly rise. From November 5 to December 2, bars and restaurants will close for general service and can only offer takeout.
