LibraryNowPlayMechanicsMCP

Kinds

Campaign418Product129Food & drink30App & software72Film95Series98Music85Game155Book63Creator moment68Meme & format145Trend & aesthetic45Activity63Moment143
PricingPrivacyTermsRefundsPress
Library/Campaign/Burger King "Moldy Whopper"
Grade B20 sourcesHIS-01594

Burger King "Moldy Whopper"

Campaign · 2020 · Notable

49Editable slideCertificate

A Whopper decayed over 34 days in a campaign announcing artificial preservative removal.

Original · Burger King; INGO Stockholm, DAVID Miami and Publicis
Why Burger King Is Proudly Advertising a Moldy Whopper
ADWEEK
Official Moldy Whopper campaign poster from the agency portfolio.
Burger King / INGO / DAVID / Publicis
Burger King shows moldy Whopper in new ad campaign
Fox Business
Grand Clio Winners: Burger King's 'Moldy Whopper' by David, INGO and Publicis | Muse by Clios
Muse by Clios
DAVID & INGO: Burger King Moldy Whopper
WPP
Burger King | Moldy Whopper
The One Club for Creativity

Spread Score

How it works
Reach68Contagion35Breadth50Velocity65Longevity1249

Numbers

Agency claim: campaign impressions; reporting window unspecified
8.4B
Self-reported · WPP
Seed to peak proxy
same day
Feb 19 ’20 to Feb 19 ’20
Platforms
5
Started on YouTube
Origin
Mixed
Food & beverage

Mechanics

  • TransgressionPrimary
  • Controversy
  • Platform jump
  • Press loop
  • Pairing

How it spread

Trace the origin

Burger King released Moldy Whopper while removing artificial preservatives. Paid promotion, news coverage, retweets, Reddit debate and a Nando's response followed. The campaign won advertising awards; its sales lift was an entrant claim.

Proxy date; not a directly measured attention peak.

Google searchesJan ’20MarMayJulSepNovFeb ’21MayJulNovMay ’22Peak proxyYouTubePressOpen webRedditRetail
YouTubePressOpen webRedditRetail

13 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

Timeline (16)

  1. February 2020

    Burger King / INGO / DAVID / Publicis seed · Feb 19 ’20

    Burger King released a film of a Whopper decaying to announce the removal of artificial preservatives.[1][2]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. ADWEEK / TIME / Fox Business press · Feb 19 ’20

    ADWEEK, TIME and Fox Business covered the campaign while the US preservative removal was still being rolled out.[1][3][4]

    Why Burger King Is Proudly Advertising a Moldy Whopper

  3. Online discussion tracked by Burger King and Brandwatch peak proxy · Feb 19 ’20

    Machado reported a noon peak; Brandwatch's February 10-24 brand-disgust series peaked on the same date.[5][6]

  1. platform jump · Feb 19 ’20

  2. backlash · Feb 21 ’20

Join free to see the other 13 events and the full chart. Free, on every case.

or continue with Google

Why it worked

Do this

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3

Pro opens the playbook, all 13 sourced numbers and 20 sources. Start with a free account.

Join freeGo Pro · $13/mo
Origin
Mixed
Sector
Food & beverage
Region
Global
Agency claim: campaign impressions; reporting window unspecified
8.4B
Self-reported · WPP
Evidence
Grade B

Spread the same way

Campaign · Open web · 202353

Taco Bell: Freeing Taco T***day

Taco Bell

Taco Bell’s trademark challenge freed Taco Tuesday for restaurants in all 50 states.

21B impressions

1 / 8

  • Taco Bell: Freeing Taco T***day
  • A Recipe for Seduction
  • Rang-tan
  • IKEA Guilty Pets
  • British Airways: May We Haveth One’s Attention
  • e.l.f. So Many Dicks
  • Dr. Squatch Body Wash Genie
  • Hims & Hers: Sick of the System

New cases, every week

How the next thing spread, the week it does.