Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?
Burger King Sweden was the first Burger King in Europe to launch plant based burgers. They call it Rebel Whopper. Like "The Impossible Burger" it taste very close to an original meat burger. It even look like the "real thing".
Lots of "flexitarians" hesitate in the moment they want to order a veggie burger. "Maybe it taste like shit", and they don't want to risk it.
So Burger King introduced the 50/50 meal. When you order it, chance decides if you get a meat burger or a plantbased burger. When you eat it you have no idea what it is.
background
The target group wasn't vegetarians, it was "flexitarians". All those people who have a bad conscious for not being environmental friendly as much as they should. This segment had grown rapidly in Sweden. Those who want a quick burger but thinking I should get the healthier "veggie burger". But we all have tasted these sometimes terrible veggie alternatives. Lots of people won't risk their lunch for it, change their mind and order a meat Whopper instead.
With the new Rebel Whopper Burger King had a plant based burger that taste delicious, just like a meat burger. In fact most people cannot tell the difference.
By launching the 50/50 meal they made the plant based order much easier to do. It not only lowered the odds of not getting a meat burger by 50% it also gave the message that the taste experience is more or less the same.
Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)
A new meal was launched at all Burger Kings restaurants in Sweden - The 50/50 meal. There were a 50% chance you get a meat burger, and 50% chance you get a plant based. The critical moment when you made the order became less dramatized. When you ordered it an algoritm in the cash register decides what type of burger you got.
The customer had no idea. The only way to find out was to download the Burger King App and scan a symbol on the special designed 50/50 box. But you had to make your own guess first, before you were given the answer.
Describe the strategy (20% of vote)
The decision was made to focus on Flexitarians (who alter between meat and vegetarian food). They are a much larger part of the Swedish population than vegetarians. But there were barriers to over come. Even if most people say they prefer vegetarian alternatives because its better for the environment och their health, things like taste and saturation made people skeptical. The message needed to focus on the fact that made them NOT choose a plant based burger. The solution, the 50/50 meal made the choice meat or plant based less dramatic. In between the lines it communicated that what ever burger you got it will taste great and make you full.
Describe the execution (30% of vote)
A full 50/50 campaign was made, including a 50/50 hamburger box, a full 50/50 restaurant kit, PR, launch film (TV and WEB) and outdoor. The 50/50 activation launched in June 2019.
List the results (30% of vote)
The campaign got global attention with more than 2 Billion impressions. Many of the largest TV channels and news outlets in Sweden and outside picked up the campaign.
63% of all Swedes noticed the campaign.
After the 50/50 campaign, compared to those who didin't notice it - There was an increase of more than 200% who had Burger King as their first choice of a burger place. And an increase of 1100% thought that Burger King hade tastier vegetarian alternatives than McDonalds.
Without cannibalizing on other products the 50/50 meal increased daily sales in the Burger King restaurants with 28%.
The customers who wanted to find out what they were eating had to download the BK app and first make their own guess if they just had a meat or plant based burger - 44% guessed wrong.