Burger King asks McDonald's to make 'McWhopper' for peace

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Burger King asks McDonald's to make 'McWhopper' for peace
HE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First posted: Wednesday, August 26, 2015 09:16 AM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, August 26, 2015 01:23 PM EDT
NEW YORK -- This probably isn't what the United Nations had in mind when it established the International Day of Peace: Burger King is asking McDonald's to join forces to create a "McWhopper."
In full-page newspaper ads Wednesday, Burger King says it's calling for a truce with McDonald's so that they can create a mashup of their most famous burgers -- the Big Mac and the Whopper. Burger King says it wants to serve the concoction for a single day at a popup location in Atlanta, a midway point between the headquarters of the two chains.
Burger King is tying the publicity stunt to a non-profit called Peace One Day, which says it promotes Peace Day. The United Nations created the International Day of Peace in 1981 to coincide with its annual opening session in September. It then designated Sept. 21 as the annual "day of non-violence and cease-fire" in 2001.
In a comment posted on its Facebook page, McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook said the proposal was inspiration for a good cause, then took a dig at the ploy by Burger King.
"Let's acknowledge that between us there is simply a friendly business competition and certainly not the unequaled circumstances of the real pain and suffering of war," Easterbrook said.
He added "P.S. A simple phone call will do next time."
The proposed mashup of the Big Mac and Whopper would include elements of each, such as flame-broiled beef patty and a middle bun, according to a website Burger King set up. Burger King notes on the site that it's open to discussing the proposal, but that details would have to be worked out in time for Peace Day.
"Proposals like McWhopper make noise," Burger King says in a video on the site.
Burger King said the ads asking McDonald's about the proposal were to run Wednesday in The New York Times and The Chicago Tribune, the latter of which is based near McDonald's headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois.
Burger King, based in Miami, is owned by Restaurant Brands International, which also owns Tim Hortons.
This photo provided by Burger King shows a “McWhopper.” In full-page newspaper ads Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015, Burger King said it’s calling for a truce with McDonald’s so that they can create a mashup of their most famous burgers, the Big Mac and the Whopper. Burger King is tying the publicity stunt to a nonprofit called Peace One Day, which says it promotes Peace Day. (Burger King via AP)

Burger King asks McDonald's to make 'McWhopper' for peace | Eat | Life | Toronto
 
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Settle the beef: McWhopper taste test
Rebecca Tucker, Postmedia Network
First posted: Thursday, August 27, 2015 11:10 AM EDT | Updated: Thursday, August 27, 2015 11:29 AM EDT
In the end, it was a peace treaty too appetizing to be true.
On Wednesday, Burger King extended a truly greasy olive branch (an olive oil branch?) to McDonald’s, proposing that the two fast-food competitors put their differences aside for one day only — Peace Day on Sept. 21, 2015 — to create the McWhopper.
The proposal calls for a Big Mac-Whopper hybrid meant to symbolize that even the greatest rivalries can be put to rest for one day, only in the name of secret sauce and processed cheese and onions that can’t be real onions (are they real onions?) Oh, and peace. Definitely, also peace. Like the Christmas Truce of 1914, but with hamburgers.
Except of course not at all since, as McDonald’s wrote on Facebook in its rejection of the idea, “Let’s acknowledge that between us there is simply a friendly business competition and certainly not the unequaled circumstances of the real pain and suffering of war.” Fair play, McD’s, and fair point. That chain also said it would be in touch with Burger King, suggesting that the two pair up in raising “awareness worldwide.”
“We love the intention,” McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook wrote, “but think our two brands could do something bigger to make a difference.” Easterbrook is right, because Burger King made one devastating mistake in its “Burger Wars Ceasefire” proposal.
But before we get into that, let’s look at some key stats: Burger King sells about two million Whoppers per day, while McDonald’s sells about 2.5 million Big Macs. There are 849 calories in a Double Whopper, and 690 calories in a Double Big Mac.
Burger King’s most significant error here was not in the execution of its McWhopper proposal, but in its visualization of the McWhopper itself, which it suggested would include an equal number of ingredients from each SINGLE-format sandwich.
Wrong, Burger King. All wrong. In order for the peace treaty to really work — for this ceasefire to truly MEAN SOMETHING — it needs to be an all-in sort of deal.
Easterbrook suggests they “do something bigger,” and do something bigger they must: Put a Double Whopper inside a Double Big Mac.
Create a megaburger, an octuple-decker, 1,539-calorie monument to world peace. If my math is correct based on the figures above and the theoretical excitement that would ensue, such a collaboration would result in the sale of 4.5 million burgers in a single day.
Imagine all the people, sharing ALL the meat.
Of course, even without coming to fruition, Burger King’s proposal was ludicrously smart marketing. The company took out a full-page ad in The New York Times to propose the McWhopper and also launched a companion website, mcwhopper.com, making it less of a modest proposal and more of a straight up ad campaign, albeit one that put a direct competitor on the spot. It also got a whole bunch of people really excited for a product that does not actually exist — a truly exceptional feat.
But people: it can exist. On Sept. 21, buy a Double Big Mac. Then buy a Double Whopper. Marry the two burgers in your hands, and eat it. Do this with a loved one, or organize a flash-mob in your city, and do this at once with thousands of other like-minded people. Write letters to your city councillors. Take to the streets. Taste the peace together.
And then maybe consider just how much time, energy and money went into this whole stunt involving two companies whose respective track records surrounding the mistreatment of farm workers, exploitation of the environment and investment in lobbying are irrevocably dismal. Oh, and maybe take a blood pressure pill or something. You’ll probably need it.

Settle the beef: McWhopper taste test | Eat | Life | Toronto Sun
 
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