Burger King has long played on its association with fire to get across its "flame-grilled" message; a few years ago, its somewhat controversial Burning Stores campaign, featuring burned-down restaurants, won a Cannes Grand Prix, while Burn That Ad in 2019 encouraged people to set competitors' ads "on fire."

Now the chain is playing with fire again, in its first-ever brand campaign in Colombia. There, it's decided to "sponsor" firefighters by giving them and their families special memberships and promotions.

The campaign, created via agency Fantástica, shows firefighters heading to work and then tackling a house fire. They then wrap up their day with a meal at Burger King. The spot makes the connection between a firefighter who has "13 years experience with fire" and the brand, which also has "years of experience with fire," explaining that it is proud to sponsor the country's "bomberos."

The production involved real firefighters as well as actors. It took place in a village near Bogota where a real house was set on fire, and the local fire department accompanied the entire shoot.

"We decided to forget about the celebrities, TikTok stars and soccer players, and to use as an image those who really understand fire, since they face it every day: the firefighters," said Alejo Gómez, creative vice president of Fantástica, in a statement.

“Experts in fire allow us to creatively align Burger King with its most important attribute," added Jimena Montoya, marketing director at Burger King Colombia. "The campaign is both a tribute to firefighters and reinforces, being validated by them, our strongest attribute as a brand.”

Burger King has 36 restaurants in Colombia. This is its first campaign for the country since opening there in 2008. Benefits for firefighters will include discounts, a promotion that is doubled if someone has a firefighter in their family. The company says it's also seeking someone who became a firefighter after experiencing a fire first-hand will give them "lifetime membership."

This isn't the first time Burger King has backed an unexpected group. The brand previously sponsored little-known English soccer club Stevenage in a campaign from David that went on to win multiple Cannes Lions Grand Prix.