Fast food advertisements have exceeded the stereotypical modelesque woman eating a juicy hamburger, into a meaningful message about an unexpected and important cause — anti-bullying.
In Burger King’s new and powerful PSA, the burger giant leaves viewers contemplating as the advertisement concludes on a very real and emotional tone.
In the three-minute video below, the fast food corporation parallels the reaction of customers when they witness a high school junior getting bullied compared to the iconic Burger King Whopper Jr. getting bullied. The clever advertisement highlights an important and real reaction of customers, making a bold statement about when people do, and don’t, speak up.
While the young boys are actors, the other customers are not and are unknowingly being recorded. The group specifically single-out one of the boys, bullying him by using harsh words and even dumping water on his food.
And while a number of bystanders witness the act, only a small percentage actually intervene. However, when the tables are turned, and they realize their hamburger had been bullied, they reacted quite differently.
Behind the counter, a Burger King employee “bullied” the customer’s Whopper Jr. by smashing it with his fist, splitting the hamburger into multiple pieces.
When the customers receive their meal in assorted pieces, they appear appalled and stunned, immediately approaching the counter to address the problem. Ironically, the Burger King employees ask the angered customer, “Had you seen me bullying this burger, would you have stood up and said something,” with many of them responding agreeably.
In a concluding and shocking statistic presented by the burger giant, a staggering 95% of customers spoke up when they realized their Whopper Jr. was bullied, while contrastingly, only 12% of customers spoke up when they noticed the young boy was being bullied.
The PSA sends a powerful message about not only anti-bullying but also about the number of bystanders that are willing to accept it. Burger King concludes the advertisement by promoting an advocacy organization, nobully.org. – aimed to put an end to bullying entirely.
In sum, no one deserves to be bullied, and if you witness someone being treated unfairly, say something, even if it doesn’t affect you (or your meal).
Burger King’s anti-bullying advertisement causes viewers to think — Will you stand up or standby? Be apart of the 12% that stand up for the well-being of those around them.
Please SHARE this thought-provoking advertisement with your friends and family.
