GaryMrMets
04-02-2002, 08:40 PM
Burger King Tells Whopper to Promote Sandwich
Reuters
NEW YORK (April 1) - Burger King told a bit of a whopper on Monday in order to promote a new chicken sandwich.
In an April Fool's bid to drum up publicity for its newly launched Chicken Whopper sandwich, Burger King announced that it has changed its name to "Chicken King." Through a gag press release e-mailed to the media, Burger King said it has changed its name to the "Chicken King Corporation" and that chickens would now rule at the company known for its flame-broiled hamburgers.
"Due to the successful introduction of our new introduction of our new Chicken Whopper sandwich - the only flame-broiled chicken breast fillet good enough to be called a Whopper - our name will now be Chicken King. Farewell Burger King," proclaimed a full-page ad in Monday's USA Today.
A spokeswoman for Miami-based Burger King, a unit of Diageo Plc, said the press release was a joke, but added that the Chicken Whopper was indeed real.
"This is all done in support of our newest product and the first-ever brand extension of the Whopper," said the spokeswoman, who added that visitors to Burger King restaurants on Monday would be greeted with the new name change. "It brings smiles to people's faces when people in the restaurant say 'welcome to Chicken King,'" she said.
Burger King, the nation's No. 2 fast-food chain behind market leader McDonald's Corp., in February relaunched its brand including the rollout of new menu items including a vegetarian burger and a newly improved Whopper, its flagship hamburger.
Monday's gag is the second time that Burger King resorted to advertising gimmicks to boost sales. In 1998, the company took out full-page ads in USA Today saying that it had developed a left-handed Whopper, which prompted requests for lefty burgers from hundreds of consumers and franchisees.
In 1996, Tricon's Taco Bell created a storm of publicity in an April Fool's prank in 1996 when it claimed to have bought the Liberty Bell and renamed it the Taco Liberty Bell, irking some patriots.
REUTERS Rtr 14:24 04-01-02
Copyright 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
Reuters
NEW YORK (April 1) - Burger King told a bit of a whopper on Monday in order to promote a new chicken sandwich.
In an April Fool's bid to drum up publicity for its newly launched Chicken Whopper sandwich, Burger King announced that it has changed its name to "Chicken King." Through a gag press release e-mailed to the media, Burger King said it has changed its name to the "Chicken King Corporation" and that chickens would now rule at the company known for its flame-broiled hamburgers.
"Due to the successful introduction of our new introduction of our new Chicken Whopper sandwich - the only flame-broiled chicken breast fillet good enough to be called a Whopper - our name will now be Chicken King. Farewell Burger King," proclaimed a full-page ad in Monday's USA Today.
A spokeswoman for Miami-based Burger King, a unit of Diageo Plc, said the press release was a joke, but added that the Chicken Whopper was indeed real.
"This is all done in support of our newest product and the first-ever brand extension of the Whopper," said the spokeswoman, who added that visitors to Burger King restaurants on Monday would be greeted with the new name change. "It brings smiles to people's faces when people in the restaurant say 'welcome to Chicken King,'" she said.
Burger King, the nation's No. 2 fast-food chain behind market leader McDonald's Corp., in February relaunched its brand including the rollout of new menu items including a vegetarian burger and a newly improved Whopper, its flagship hamburger.
Monday's gag is the second time that Burger King resorted to advertising gimmicks to boost sales. In 1998, the company took out full-page ads in USA Today saying that it had developed a left-handed Whopper, which prompted requests for lefty burgers from hundreds of consumers and franchisees.
In 1996, Tricon's Taco Bell created a storm of publicity in an April Fool's prank in 1996 when it claimed to have bought the Liberty Bell and renamed it the Taco Liberty Bell, irking some patriots.
REUTERS Rtr 14:24 04-01-02
Copyright 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.