Really, Burger King? Really?

Kristin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:03:15 +0000

I’m not Team Edward OR Team Jacob. In fact, I don’t even know which one is which. I’ve never read any of the Twilight books or seen the movies. And I don’t plan on it. Ever. But all of that is really beside the point that I’m about the make here.

This past weekend we were on a road trip and stopped at Burger King for a quick, unhealthy lunch. Of course the entire restaurant (if you can even call it that) was plastered with Twilight and Eclipse posters and paraphernalia. I understand that big chain places like BK are going to market hot movies and do promotions based on them. It’s always been that way. It’s a money maker for both parties. I have no problem with that. What I do have a problem with is that Burger King continued the Eclipse marketing in the form of their kid’s meals. WTF!

To me, kid’s meals are just that, meals for kids. And when I say kids I’m implying someone under the age of 12, most likely even younger. Most teenagers I know can and do consume much larger quantities of food than are given in a kid’s meal at Burger King. So, if kid’s meals are geared toward kids under 12 then why would BK put an Eclipse “prize” in the kid’s meal? The movie is rated PG-13 due to some violence and scenes of sexuality (according to IMDB.com) so it seems very counter intuitive to me for BK to do this. I know all they’re doing is seeing dollar signs but still. It’s not like there aren’t any other big blockbuster movies that they could use in their marketing. How about Toy Story 3? Of course, I’m not a marketing expert or anything and I’m sure one has to offer the other the deal. I’m sure they don’t just get to choose what they want to use for prizes, but I simply can’t understand this.

After bringing this topic up with some of my family and friends I have heard that some Burger Kings offer an alternate “toddler prize” for the kid’s meals upon request. However, I was unaware and the cashier who took my order at BK clearly saw that I had a 3 and 1 year old in tow. Obviously they had no idea what Eclipse was. I was never offered a toddler prize and I didn’t see any signs anywhere that they were even available.

In reality I know that BK and [whoever produced this movie] do not care about whether or not my child actually likes the prize. I know they just care about the money, but really Burger King? Really? (a la Seth Meyers on SNL)

Image borrowed from www.bellasdiary.com

The “prize” we received was the mini tote bag. Seriously? It’s a little piece of fabric with a handle on it. It’s not even big enough to hold a pack of gum. Oh and I love how the poster says keepsakes for girls and guys. It’s clearly not targeted toward kids, otherwise it would have said girls and boys. Ok, rant over.

A Mother's Work Is Never Done » marketing

Really, Burger King? Really?