Burger King debuts 'Proud Whopper' to support LGBT rights
Burger King sold a 'Proud Whopper' during the annual San Francisco Pride Parade Sunday. Burger King's 'Proud Whopper' is wrapped in rainbow colors, with the message 'We are all the same inside' on the wrapper's interior.
Burger King sold a 'Proud Whopper' during the annual San Francisco Pride Parade Sunday. Burger King's 'Proud Whopper' is wrapped in rainbow colors, with the message 'We are all the same inside' on the wrapper's interior.
Burger King Corp. steps up and boldly defines its new 鈥淏e Your Way鈥� tagline in an unexpected way on July 2 when it releases a short film in support of equality.
During the 44th聽Annual San Francisco Pride Parade on Sunday, June 29, the Burger King at 1200 Market Street on the parade route offered a special 鈥淧roud Whopper鈥� wrapped in the rainbow colors of the gay-rights movement. Inside, diners found a regular Whopper burger with the message 鈥淲e are all the same inside鈥� inscribed on the wrapper鈥檚 interior.
The short film made in and around the Market Street store captures the reactions of some who ordered a Proud Whopper as well as some who didn鈥檛. One man says, 鈥淚f that鈥檚 what they鈥檙e going to do, they won鈥檛 be having my business anymore.鈥� But others clearly are moved by Burger King鈥檚 stand.
In an interview with BurgerBusiness.com, Burger King SVP-Global Brand Management Fernando Machado acknowledged that some BK customers might not like the Proud Whopper initiative. 鈥淏ut I am more excited that we are making this statement in support of self-expression,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 would like to believe we are uniting people behind this message that I hope all can support.
鈥淭his is exactly what 鈥楤e Your Way鈥� means,鈥� Machado added. 鈥淲hen we first introduced it, I said that it expressed how Burger King welcomes everyone to our stores. [The Proud Whopper] elevates that message and makes it more meaningful, I believe.鈥�
The initiative resulted from San Francisco operators鈥� 鈥渄esire to be part of an important local event, as we are everywhere,鈥� said Machado. The Proud Whopper was locally relevant 鈥渂ut we wanted to go beyond that, beyond just one city, to create a film that can be for everyone,鈥� he said. The chain will be looking for additional聽 ways to 鈥渆mbody the spirit of the 鈥楤e Your Way鈥� attitude,鈥� he said.
The Proud Whopper sandwich will continue to be sold at the Market Street unit at $4.29 through July 3. All proceeds from the sandwich sales will go to the chain鈥檚 Burger King McLamore Foundation (named for founder Jim McLamore), designated for scholarships benefiting LGBT college-bound high school seniors graduating in spring 2015.
The Proud Whopper film can be seen at聽youtube.com/BurgerKing聽beginning July 2. David, named Burger King鈥檚 global ad agency in April, created the film.