Austria: PR agency apologizes for Pride Whopper
Actually, it didn't sound bad to many: Just in time for Pride Month, Burger King in Austria was to offer a Pride Whopper. The special feature: The burger was to consist of two tops or two bottoms and thus set a sign. It was available with either two tops or two bottoms. The agency behind the idea was Jung von Matt Donau.
However, those responsible now admit that they "screwed up" the campaign. The basic idea was to set a "sign for the equality of all identities and sexual orientations. But shortly after the posters were published, they were met with criticism.
What's behind the Pride Whopper?
In terms of taste, the Pride Whopper is actually virtually no different from the classic Whopper. Why should it? After all, the same ingredients are used here between top and bottom.
The only difference is that customers can order the burger with two tops or two bottoms. The plan was to put a "smile on the face" of the guest and to remind them to treat each other with kindness and respect.
This is how people reacted to the Pride Whopper
The fact that many people who are skeptical of the LGBTQIA+ community were not enthusiastic about such a "special edition" anyway should come as no surprise. However, criticism also came from the community itself. A glance at the social networks was enough to find out that other campaigns have been much better received in the past.
Above all, the connection between a burger and sexual orientation or the sexual note in general was criticized particularly sharply. To many, it seemed as if the action had been pulled out of thin air. Some also spoke of pink washing.
The PR agency responsible takes a stand
In the meantime, those responsible at the PR agency in charge have also spoken out. They had perceived the criticism and simply "screwed up". Among other things, it was a mistake not to have sufficiently discussed the possibilities of interpretation with the scene itself. The goal was to promote the same love with the Whopper. Now they are worried that they may have offended people who belong to the LGBTQIA+ community.
If this is the case, they would like to sincerely apologize. Last but not least, those responsible stressed that they had resolved to focus more on the communication factor in connection with further campaigns of this kind and to exchange more with the queer community.
What is actually behind the accusation of pink washing?
The Pride Whopper was not only criticized because of the two tops and bottoms, but also because of one or the other accusation of pink washing. This is a type of marketing in which it is suggested that companies only use rainbow designs and the like because they want to "swim along" - especially during Pride Month - and thus expand their target group. Some people lack authenticity in this context, as they would also - apart from June - like to see a stronger commitment in this direction. The extent to which Burger King was or was not pink washing cannot, of course, be conclusively stated.
It is clear that this action was not the only statement of the fast food chain. In recent years, "colorful" marketing concepts have also been used to mark Pride Month. However, many of them were better received than the Pride Whopper 2022.
