Burger King is becoming the Ann Coultor of marketers, which means that by reacting to their rediculous marketing strategies, we’re playing into their hands. But in the latest BK social atrocity can’t be missed only to remark on the problem of postirony, which is a sure sign of the end of marketing itself. The problem is simply that if the only way one can survive in this environment is through self-paraody, there surely must be no integrity left to fall back on.
BK ‘Sacrifices’ Whopper Facebook Application – Advertising Age – News:
CHICAGO (AdAge.com) — It all started with a little fun and games, dumping Facebook friends for a free sandwich. Burger King, through agency Crispin Porter & Bogusky, posted a Facebook application last week that promised users a free Whopper if they eliminated 10 friends.
Since then, 234,000 friends have been axed as part of “Whopper Sacrifice,” for a total of 23,400 free lunches — likely to be eaten alone. After all, the application alerted a person’s friend network when someone was dumped over one-tenth of a burger. Generally, when a Facebook user cuts a friend, the person isn’t notified, nor are any of their friends. But because Burger King was essentially singling out users for ridicule, Facebook had a beef with the application.
