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Link This | Email this | Blog This | Comments (16)
April 6, 2009
Burger King is employing booty to sell burgers. The burger giant's new commercial, for a 99-cent kid's meal, aired during last night's lopsided national championship game between Michigan State and University of North Carolina.
"I like square butts and I cannot lie," the King character raps, in an old-school homage to Sir Mix-A-Lot, as four female dancers gyrate behind him.
Square butts? The young women all have phone books in their shorts. Then Sponge Bob Square Pants appears on a television. There's your theme and justification for the kid's meal. (Don't forget SBSQ lives in a place called Bikini Bottom.)
A lot happens before the commercial closes with a coda, of sorts: Grammy Award-winning Sir Mix-A-Lot, who wrote the song being parodied, announces "booty is booty."
What does one make of this production, oddly reminiscent of the Pee-wee Herman Show? For one thing, Burger King continues to maintain its distance from more family-oriented rival McDonald's. For another, it appears aimed at urban African-Americans. But let's not kid ourselves. The country is steeped in hip-hop culture, and many white suburbanites will appreciate BK's retro "hipness."
In any case, the spot strikes me as silly and funny and a reminder that sexism can play a role in peddling fast food. Even to our children.
Burger King's Booty Call
April 6, 2009
Burger King is employing booty to sell burgers. The burger giant's new commercial, for a 99-cent kid's meal, aired during last night's lopsided national championship game between Michigan State and University of North Carolina.
"I like square butts and I cannot lie," the King character raps, in an old-school homage to Sir Mix-A-Lot, as four female dancers gyrate behind him.
Square butts? The young women all have phone books in their shorts. Then Sponge Bob Square Pants appears on a television. There's your theme and justification for the kid's meal. (Don't forget SBSQ lives in a place called Bikini Bottom.)
A lot happens before the commercial closes with a coda, of sorts: Grammy Award-winning Sir Mix-A-Lot, who wrote the song being parodied, announces "booty is booty."
What does one make of this production, oddly reminiscent of the Pee-wee Herman Show? For one thing, Burger King continues to maintain its distance from more family-oriented rival McDonald's. For another, it appears aimed at urban African-Americans. But let's not kid ourselves. The country is steeped in hip-hop culture, and many white suburbanites will appreciate BK's retro "hipness."
In any case, the spot strikes me as silly and funny and a reminder that sexism can play a role in peddling fast food. Even to our children.
Posted by David Farkas on April 6, 2009 | Comments (16)
Industries: Marketing
Reader Comments
at 4/7/2009 12:03:31 PM, Steve J commented:
That ad is just plain FUN!
at 4/9/2009 11:29:14 AM, Bob commented:
Stupid commercial! Really reaching.
at 4/9/2009 11:34:43 AM, Are you surprised? commented:
Why not mix children's characters with sex? We've already indoctrinated the teens into thinking sex is where it's at? Why wait?
at 4/9/2009 11:42:17 AM, Donna commented:
It's a stupid commercial, and rather tasteless - but it's BK's guy in a king suit - it's not like anyone expects a classy deBeers commercial for this product.
As for kids and sex, has anyone watched the commercials during Saturday cartoons recently?
at 4/9/2009 6:35:02 PM, er commented:
This commercial is completely, COMPLETELY inappropriate for kids. And, NOT because the king is creepy.
at 4/9/2009 8:49:41 PM, Ronald McDonald commented:
its sexist, and degrading, just simply put inappropriate..
the *only* thing that makes this so inappropriate, IMO, is that it is marketing a KIDS MEAL.. period.
Baaad Choice BK!
(i eat at home anyways)
at 4/9/2009 10:03:24 PM, Washington Mom commented:
what idiot puts kids meals, a weird king, spongebob, and a song about big booty all together? hmmm...yeah THAT makes me hungry....not.
at 4/11/2009 5:24:29 PM, N Waff commented:
Yes, just what we all want to teach preschoolers, to be flaunting and staring at butts. If we want to teach girls to dance like strippers and boys to be perverts, we need to start young - like pre-k. And all thanks to Burger King and Nickelodeon for their sexualization of preschoolers.
at 4/12/2009 9:04:05 PM, Mike commented:
So this commercial is aimed at adults with kids right? I have to think....no I hope that when a parent sees an add that uses sex to sell a product to a child that they go somewhere else. Using sex to sell to children is just wrong no matter how you try to spin it.
at 4/13/2009 12:24:09 PM, Sean Blueart commented:
Hey, RELAX! Booty is just BOOTY!
It's only a commercial, it's intention is not to influence, RIGHT?!
These images and the apparent connection they make between selling product and (very specifically) women's bodies aren't relevant or important RIGHT?!
Women are just booty and that should be OK. Who benefits from blurring the line between objectifying women and selling something to children?
Hey, I'm an american and my MO is that I just get me some meat for CHEAP RIGHT?! RELAX, that's ALL that matters, and that's exactly what we should tell our kids.
Let's all let the AD AGENCY (Crispin Porter + Bogusky) and BURGER KING know how much we love the funny little commercial and what a great job they did:
info@cpbgroup.com or call call: 305-859-2070 ask for Katie Kempner, Public Relations
BK Corporate Headquarters - 305-378-3000
BK Marketing/Advertising Information Requests - 305-378-7200
BK Consumer Relations - 305-378-3535
HAVE IT YOUR WAY® Cards Consumer Help Desk - 1-800-522-1278
at 4/14/2009 9:00:32 PM, FedUp commented:
This commercial is sickening. Any commercial or program calling attention to young girls butts on public TV is not acceptable by any standards and should be removed immediately. It's bad enough we already have to filter immoral programs and garbage shows presented on most channels today, from the eyes of our young children. Now, an all American food chain is stooping to this level to sell burgers. It's just another example of the deterioration in standards of modern day media and we the people are getting fed up. Where has good programing decision making gone? Where have those who used commonsense, morals, intelligence and good clean humor in the decision making of what is considered appropriate standards, gone?
I guess everyone is just sitting back and letting the evil, that has infiltrated all forms the media business, take over. Well, I'll tell you what, this kind of trash may sell crap music to our teens, who think it's cool because they aren't offered much by way of better alternatives but, it isn't going to sell burgers to families or people fed up with this sort of thing being used in promotions. Who ever the moron was that allowed this commercial to be released may have just doomed Burger King or at leased drastically hurt sales especially if America decides to boycott them because of it. This just might be the straw that pushes people to their limit. Someone ought to wake up and pull it off the air now, if it isn't already to late.
at 4/15/2009 11:21:04 PM, cross commented:
This booty ad by Burger king is distasteful and corrupt. By no means should children be targeted with such vulgar and adult themed content. Burger King should immediately pull back this ad and apologize to parents and children for their lack of judgment.
at 4/17/2009 8:03:45 AM, EarWorm commented:
The worst part about these commercials is that everytime they're on, they leave that NASTY song behind in my mind.
at 7/17/2009 3:17:09 PM, Short Rib commented:
This sealed the deal-I will never step into a BK ever again. I would rather skip a meal. Insulting to all women and food that is insulting to all food.
at 9/9/2009 7:16:25 PM, Streets Wanna Know commented:
Hey,
I was just surfing the web and I came across this page. I really liked the info, keep up the good work.
Peace
at 9/10/2009 5:22:31 AM, Kelli Garner commented:
Really nice posts. I will be checking back here regularly.
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