Burger King's McWhopper effort, created by WPP's Y&R New Zealand, has added the Grand Prix for Media at Cannes to its awards haul, following its win in the Print & Publishing category earlier this week.

Jury president Nick Waters, CEO Dentsu Aegis Network, Asia Pacific, said this was a case of "a big brand taking on an even bigger competitor, moving quickly and being bold and acting cheekily" to bring in consumers. He said "this could not have happened without the brilliant use of media." He said the campaign used media to "whip up change" and amplify the message.

The latest prize adds to McWhopper's high tally on the awards circuit this year. It helped make Y&R New Zealand become the most-awarded agency at the D&AD Awards in London and took home the Grandy at the International Andy Awards in New York.

Read more about the winners in the Media category and the Print and Publishing category over at AdAge.com.

Original story:

Burger King is proposing -- in an open letter to the New York Times and Chicago Tribune -- a one day "ceasefire" with rival McDonald's, on September 21, which happens to be Peace Day.

In honor of Peace Day, a day of global unity recognized by the UN, Burger King suggests to McDonald's that they join forces to create the McWhopper, a combination of the Whopper and Big Mac's tastiest ingredients, "united in one delicious, peace-loving burger."

It sounds like a prank, but according to the video seen here, posted on a microsite hosting the McWhopper proposal, it really is a semi-serious suggestion, designed to raise awareness of Peace Day. Burger King has even designed a pop-up restaurant that would be situated in Atlanta (midway between McDonald's HQ in Chicago and its own in Miami) and has designed packaging and staff uniforms.

Y&R New Zealand conceived the idea, working with Burger King's other U.S. and global partners including ABPR, Code & Theory, David, Horizon, Rock Orange and Turner Duckworth. In a statement, Y&R CEO/CCO Josh Moore said the campaign is the result of an 18-month collaboration with the global Burger King marketing team. "When we first tabled this idea with Burger King we knew it was a long shot -- asking a global icon to take their hero product and blend it with that of their biggest competitor. But we've been totally overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and appetite for big thinking and bold ideas at all levels of Burger King."

However, it seems as if the McWhopper most likely will never see the light of day. McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook has responded with a Facebook post, in which he suggests says that the two brands could work together on something "meaningful" instead, adding "let's acknowledge that between us there is simply a friendly business competition and certainly not the unequaled circumstances of the real pain and suffering of war. "