Though Budweiser is at the heart of the campaign, it's not on
offer at BK restaurants as part of this effort. Budweiser's VP of
Marketing Ricardo Marques said in a statement that the idea
positions Bud and BK as the ultimate pairing for summer. The spot
will begin airing on broadcast this week and will appear on both
brands' YouTube channels.
The BK collaboration comes as Bud this fall plans to join forces
with another big brand, Jim Beam, which is working with Bud on a
limited-edition brew called Reserve Copper Lager that is aged in
Jim Beam barrel staves. The two brands are also appearing together
in bars for beer-and-a-shot promotions.
But don't expect to get a buzz from the burger. BK's American
Brewhouse King sandwich includes two flame-grilled beef patties,
three half-strips of thick-cut smoked bacon, crispy onions, tavern
sauce, American cheese and mayo on a sesame seed bun and has a
suggested price of $6.19.
It's not the first time Bud's name has been used to sell a
burger. In 2016, Carl's Jr. and Hardee's had the Budweiser Beer
Cheese Bacon Burger: a charbroiled, grass-fed, all-natural beef
patty with thick-cut Applewood-smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato,
caramelized onions and Swiss cheese, topped with Budweiser beer
cheese sauce. The sibling chains also had Budweiser Beer Cheese
fries.
The ad idea is kind of a meta-move in that Budweiser had
actually been the one to co-opt "Whassup" for advertising purposes.
Its original form was the short film "True," created by director
Charles Stone III, who also just happened to shoot the updcoming
"Uncle Drew" film inspired by the classic Pepsi campaign. After
DDB Chicago turned the film "True" into an
ad, the spot went on to earn the Film Grand Prix at Cannes and saw
various iterations, including versions featuring yuppies and
aliens. Stone later went on to remake the film with a political
twist in 2008 to support then-Senator Barack Obama during his
presidential campaign.
Burger King has been digging into advertising history with its
recent marketing moves. Earlier this month, it revived the "Sneak King" character from its
Titanium Lion-winning "King Games" for an E3 stunt promoting its
Pretzel Chicken Fries.
BK and Bud have strong ties. 3G Capital, a major shareholder at
Burger King-owner Restaurant Brands International, has partners who
sit on the board at Bud owner Anheuser-Busch InBev. Also, Budweiser last
year began using David, which made its name largely on
headline-grabbing work for BK.
Contributing: E.J. Schultz; Jessica Wohl
