Burger King is known for its bold and sometimes controversial marketing campaigns, but one of its most memorable stunts was the Whopper Sacrifice campaign in 2009. The campaign asked users to delete ten of their Facebook friends in exchange for a free Whopper coupon. The campaign was a clever way to poke fun at the superficial nature of online friendships and the value of a Whopper, according to the advertising agency behind it, Crispin Porter + Bogusky.
The campaign generated a lot of buzz and publicity for Burger King, as it attracted over 60,000 participants who deleted more than 230,000 friends in just ten days. The campaign also boosted Burger King’s sales and brand awareness, as it increased its website traffic by 20% and its Facebook fan base by 40,000, according to Pete Polgar, author of Whopper Sacrifice: Viral Marketing and Brand Success.
However, the campaign also sparked a lot of controversy and criticism, as it publicly announced each “sacrificed” friend in a newsfeed post, saying “You liked a Whopper more than [name]”. The campaign violated Facebook’s terms of service, which prohibit applications from rewarding users for removing friends or posting content without their consent, said Barry Schnitt, Facebook’s director of policy communications at the time. Facebook eventually shut down the campaign, claiming that it created a negative user experience.
The campaign was a disaster for Facebook, as it exposed its lack of control over its platform and its disregard for user privacy and security, said David Kirkpatrick, author of The Facebook Effect. Facebook faced a backlash from users who felt betrayed and humiliated by the campaign, as well as a lawsuit from former users who claimed that the campaign violated their rights and caused them emotional distress.
The campaign was also a wake-up call for marketers, as it showed the potential and the pitfalls of using social media to engage with consumers, said Philip Kotler, professor of marketing at Northwestern University. The campaign demonstrated the power of viral marketing and brand storytelling, but also the risks of alienating customers and partners with unethical or insensitive tactics.
The Whopper Sacrifice campaign was a brilliant example of how to use social media to create a viral marketing sensation that resonated with consumers and the media alike, but it also revealed the dark side of social media marketing that can backfire on both brands and platforms. The campaign remains one of the most talked-about and studied cases of social media marketing gone wrong.
Relevant articles:
– Whopper Sacrifice: Viral Marketing and Brand Success, Pete Polgar, Apr 17, 2023
– Burger King’s Whopper Sacrifice campaign: A case study of social media marketing gone wrong, Business Insider, Sep 25, 2023
– How to make your own Whopper at home: A recipe inspired by Burger King’s iconic burger, The Daily Meal, Sep 23, 2023
– Facebook sued by former users over Whopper Sacrifice campaign, The Verge, Sep 21, 2023