Burger King (BK) has just broken every conceivable rule in the fast-food advertising playbook.
The brand’s “Moldy Whopper” campaign shows its iconic burger being built and then slowly degenerating in a 34-day time-lapse sequence until it is covered in a layer of furry bluish fungus.
And the logic behind this unconventional idea? As Burger King’s food contains no artificial preservatives – which is still far from the norm across the wider quick-service industry – it will soon begin to rot.
By driving conversations among increasingly health-conscious consumers (and attracting coverage from story-hungry journalists), the brand hoped this ad would...