Fast food customers aren't loyal to any brand. They don't choose where to eat by who has the best burger. They look for the best offer, nearest to them. BURGER KING felt it was time to hack the system. The release of the highly anticipated horror blockbuster “IT – Chapter Two” turned out to be the perfect opportunity.
Burger King - How to post an ad in your competitor’s magazine. A tutorial.
A successful AR campaign in five easy steps.
We made the impossible possible: A BURGER KING ad in McDonald's own inhouse movie magazine. Augmented Reality (AR) turned a review of the latest “IT” movie into our ad. The ad encouraged hungry McDonald’s customers to escape the clown and get a free WHOPPER with the help of a very special coupon.
1. Look for a piece of content that is sure to come.
In our case we were convinced that McDonald’s in-store movie magazine would feature Stephen King’s new blockbuster. ”IT – chapter two“. It was said to feature a scary horror clown. An opportunity we couldn’t dare to miss.
2. Prepare the backend to start on day one.
We added all necessary functions to the BURGER KING iOS and Android app. Just hours after the release of the movie magazine, we had encoded the article into an AR marker. Time to flip the switch.
1. Look for a piece of content that is sure to come.
In our case we were convinced that McDonald’s in-store movie magazine would feature Stephen King’s new blockbuster. ”IT – chapter two“. It was said to feature a scary horror clown. An opportunity we couldn’t dare to miss.
2. Prepare the backend to start on day one.
We added all necessary functions to the BURGER KING iOS and Android app. Just hours after the release of the movie magazine, we had encoded the article into an AR marker. Time to flip the switch.
3. Use location data to let people know what you're up to.
Instantly, the campaign kicked in. The GPS data available to our app users' smartphones triggered a notification every time they entered one of 1.500 stores with the golden arches. Additionally, geo targeted social media ads promoted our campaign.
3. Use location data to let people know what you're up to.
Instantly, the campaign kicked in. The GPS data available to our app users' smartphones triggered a notification every time they entered one of 1.500 stores with the golden arches. Additionally, geo targeted social media ads promoted our campaign.
4. Think mobile to give your ad a head start.
We incorporated a complete AR experience in BK’s mobile app. Smartphone cameras recognized the “It”-article as the marker we prepared. The paper burst and released balloons that filled the restaurant with the help of augmented reality.
4. Think mobile to give your ad a head start.
We incorporated a complete AR experience in BK’s mobile app. Smartphone cameras recognized the “It”-article as the marker we prepared. The paper burst and released balloons that filled the restaurant with the help of augmented reality.
5. Incentivize with a tech twist.
In the meantime, the app generated a dynamic coupon. It calculated the way to the closest BURGER KING and promised a WHOPPER to every user who made it there in time. Flocks of hungry visitors grabbed their belongings and ran from our competitor's stores to get to a BURGER KING before the countdown ended.
5. Incentivize with a tech twist.
In the meantime, the app generated a dynamic coupon. It calculated the way to the closest BURGER KING and promised a WHOPPER to every user who made it there in time. Flocks of hungry visitors grabbed their belongings and ran from our competitor's stores to get to a BURGER KING before the countdown ended.
Results.
800,000 hacked ads
180% increase in registrations
+11,8% increase in restaurant traffic
4 million McDonald’s customers reached
Results.
800,000 hacked ads
180% increase in registrations
+11,8% increase in restaurant traffic
4 million McDonald’s customers reached