Storyboard: Firestorm at Burger King

Burger King creates new sandwiches, a new ad campaign and a little bit of controversy.

By Margaret Littman, Contributing Editor -- Chain Leader, 1/1/2004

Serious foodies were shocked, just shocked! In October, when they turned on their television sets, there was Mexican food expert Rick Bayless, owner of Chicago’s Frontera Grill and Topolobampo restaurants, past winner of a James Beard Foundation Outstanding Chef award and tireless advocate for organic foods. He wasn’t hosting his cooking show or promoting one of his cookbooks. Bayless was hawking Burger King sandwiches.

On Internet chat rooms devoted to all things edible, former Frontera fans called for a Bayless boycott, dubbing him a “sellout” and “hypocrite.” But even if one doesn’t believe the adage that any publicity is good publicity, the unusual pairing seems to be firing up consumers and calling attention to both Burger King’s new healthful menu initiatives and Bayless’ pet causes.

In October Miami-based Burger King Corp. introduced three fire-grilled sandwiches on baguettes: Smoky BBQ Chicken, Santa Fe Chicken and Savory Mustard Chicken. Designed to have about 5 grams of fat and 350 calories, the sandwiches are priced at $2.89, or $4.59 for a combo meal, which is higher than the chain’s estimated average check of $3.60. But more important than price, says Peter Gibbons, senior director of research and development for the chain, is Burger King’s step forward in creating healthful fast food. The shift has been a top priority of Burger King CEO Bradley Blum, who joined the stagnant concept a year ago, and as a result, the sandwiches went through the R&D process in just seven months.

A Second Opinion
Before the chain introduced the sandwiches nationwide, someone in marketing decided to run them by Bayless, who, much to the chagrin of certain Internet denizens, liked them. He agreed to endorse them in two 30-second TV commercials, including one that takes place in Los Angeles’ Grand Central Market.

The spots identify Bayless by name but do not mention Frontera Grill or Topolobampo. Bayless talks about the sandwiches’ fresh ingredients and cooking methods, and in one even sounds surprised that he’s talking about Burger King. The chef is donating his undisclosed paycheck from the commercials to his Chicago-based Frontera Farmer Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports small, sustainable family farms.

Bayless knows that many who are serious about cuisine—including many chefs he counts as friends—disapprove of him endorsing a fast-food feeder. “A lot of people can’t afford to come to my restaurants, and even if they could, I could never feed everyone,” he responds. “Fast food is not going to go away, so I think high-end professionals need to get out of their ivory towers and support positive change. Just because something is not perfect does not mean you should not support it. I am very pleased that I had the guts to do it. I think it will shake people up.”

It seems to have done that, both on the viewer side and on the product development side. With his expertise in Mexican cooking, Bayless was a natural choice to endorse the flavors in the new sandwiches, which include roasted tomatoes and poblano chiles. While he won’t appear in any more ads, Bayless is working with Burger King to help develop other new sandwiches, which may include a product with organic ingredients.

“It would be astonishing if they did that,” Bayless says. “The fact that I have an ear that is listening to me over there is really fabulous.”

Into the Fire
Privately held Burger King has been mum about what it is spending to promote its new line, but because it is a personal mission of Blum’s and a new direction for the chain, it is likely close to $100 million per year.

While the ad budget is undisclosed, the concept’s hopes for the campaign are not. The new campaign, with a tagline proclaiming, “The Fire’s Ready,” was developed by New York-based Young & Rubicam Inc. Y&R is one in a long line of high-profile ad agencies that have tried to develop a memorable campaign for Burger King in recent years, including McCann Erickson’s “The Whopper Says” in 2001 and Lowe, Lintas & Partners’ “When You Have It Your Way, It Just Tastes Better” in 1999.

Gibbons says early feedback from The Fire’s Ready campaign shows that diners appreciate the new sandwiches and “points to a fundamental change in a portion of the menu.” Burger King will introduce more minimally processed foods and menu items with flavor from authentic ingredients, rather than fat, on a monthly basis throughout 2004. This includes salads and more sandwiches on the baguettes.

“Because of our supply chain and our volume, we are able to innovate with ingredients,” says Gibbons. “It is a very simple platform. We are trying for recognizable natural ingredients and cooking methods.”

“How could I not promote that?” asks Bayless.

Smoky BBQ Length: 30 seconds
1. Rick Bayless: Around here, barbecue is serious business. Ingredients like garlic and crushed oregano give the sauce its authentic flavor.	2. First they fire grill some chicken breast.
3. Some sweet peppers and onions.	4. Put it on some fresh baked bread with this great, smoky barbecue sauce.
5. Some of the best barbecue around here is at Burger King. Yeah, Burger King.	6. Voice-over: Flavor from fire grilling, not from fat.
7. The new Smoky BBQ Chicken Baguette from Burger King.	8. Come on over, the fire's ready.