"A truce in the eternal war of burgers" - Here's how this burger chain newsjacked its patrons for a day!

Thursday: Gorillas of Guerrilla Marketing FROM THE DESK OF MILES EVERSON: Are you familiar with guerrilla marketing? According to Jay Conrad Levinson, guerrilla marketing is a type of strategy that works because it is simple to appreciate, easy to execute, unconventional, fun, and sometimes, inexpensive. It looks beyond the traditional ways of marketing to spice things up for a brand. I personally like this strategy because it gives me ideas on how to provide fresh and captivating ideas in advertising a product or service. I believe any business owner or marketer looking to elevate their marketing efforts should utilize this strategy! Today, allow me to share with you a heartwarming campaign in Argentina. Read on to know how this fast food chain teamed up with one of its fierce rivals to come up with an unusual campaign for a good cause. CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

"A truce in the eternal war of burgers" - Here's how this burger chain newsjacked its patrons for a day! What is something you can’t last a day without? Your smartphone? Your wallet? Your water tumbler? In 2017, patrons of this burger chain in Argentina went berserk for not being able to have a bite of one of their favorite snacks for a day. A few of them were furious, and some were curious as to why this was so. As it turned out, this was part of a guerrilla marketing campaign set up for a good cause. The name of this burger chain? Burger King! For a long time now, Burger King has been in its ever-elusive pursuit of top burger chain McDonald’s by putting extra effort in marketing campaigns targeting the latter. Some of these campaigns include making fun of the rival’s clown mascot, hijacking a clown film, “burning” the rival’s ads online, and more. So, it was expected that Burger King’s next marketing move would be similar to its previous ones. … but it WASN’T. In fact, one of the burger chain’s recent moves sent would-be customers right into the red alert zone: Into McDonald’s parking lots and stores. Wait a minute… WHAT? Was Burger King trying the “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer” mantra this time? Well, you could say that… but to answer this question properly, let’s look at the context of this strategic move. Can You Last A Day Without Whopper? The McHappy Day is an annual McDonald’s tradition that takes place on November 10. On this day, the burger chain donates USD 2 for every Big Mac and signature burger sales to the Children With Cancer Foundation to assist the organization with its financial needs. While the McHappy Day has been faring well in the past years, it got the extra push it needed in 2017. The twist? McDonald’s didn’t expect that push would come from Burger King, one of its rivals! Enter the “A Day Without Whopper” campaign… On November 10, 2017, Burger King set rivalry aside and decided not to sell any Whopper sandwiches. This was implemented in all 107 restaurants in Argentina. The idea was to motivate people to buy its rival’s most famous burger to help as many children with cancer as possible. Whoever went to any Burger King restaurant and ordered a Whopper sandwich on McHappy Day was politely asked to go to the nearest McDonald’s store instead. Such conversations were captured on camera, with shocked patrons wondering what’s going on. Burger King employees were smart to tell people to go to “the place where they don’t flame grill their burgers.” Oof. Maybe there was still a bit of rivalry in here but hey, let’s look at the big picture! What’s more? To show customers that the act was #Legit, the King himself, Burger King’s mascot, went to a McDonald’s store and bought his own Big Mac. This got the attention of lots of people in the store and earned a BIG round of applause. According to Lucina Cabrejas, Marketing Director at Burger King Argentina: “It was incredible to see how surprised guests were. But at the same time they took the invitation and the experience very seriously. Some crossed to our competition getting involved with the cause and others stayed in for a different sandwich. At the end of the day the message reached everyone.” Burger King’s restaurants in Argentina immediately went back to selling Whopper sandwiches as soon as the McHappy Day ended. Was Burger King’s “A Day Without Whopper” campaign effective? The campaign clearly showcased how it’s possible for even the “bitterest” of foes to team up for a greater cause… and such campaigns are not without their benefits! Below are the results of the campaign: Through this extra push from Burger King, McDonald’s donated 73,437 more Big Macs compared to last year. That’s equivalent to USD 146, 874 worth of monetary donations to the children’s charity! Burger King’s campaign helped create a “Record Year” for McHappy Day in Argentina. The campaign garnered a total of 206 million impressions on social media, 90% of which were organic. The campaign was featured in various publications such as AdAge, AdWeek, TAXI, Webretail, Media Marketing, etc. A Wood Pencil at the D&AD Awards (2018) Two Shortlists at the Cannes Lions Awards (2018) Two Merit Awards at The One Show Awards (2018) One Silver Award at the El Ojo de Iberomamérica Awards (2018) Three Gold and two Silver Awards at the El diente (Círculo de Creativos Argentinos) Awards (2018) One Gold Award at the Effie Latam Awards (2018) Burger King bagged the following awards: Way to go, Burger King! *Claps* So, what can you learn from this marketing campaign? Success is measured by more than just dollars. Burger King may not have posted any substantial losses on McHappy Day, but it sure set itself up to take one for the cause. The silver lining? The attention brought to the chain—not just in Argentina, but also around the world—could be considered a solid win! Touched hearts lead to open wallets. Sometimes, admitting that some causes are worth more than profits result in fond brand feelings, which then leads to more engagements, customers, and profits! Indeed, the campaign resonated with tons of customers, as a litany of social media posts across the globe illustrated! This demonstrates that most saw Burger King’s effort as not only a clever and cutting-edge move, but also a heartwarming endeavor. Are you ready to work on your own impactful marketing campaign? Hope you’ve found this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful.     Do you want to know how this South Korean tourism organization transformed normal car rides into epic journeys in 2021? See it in next week’s article!