Burger King has a difficult relationship with parenthood. Less than a year ago, it ran a campaign showing babies gazing longingly at junk food their parents were eating. Some thought that a tad misguided at a time when childhood obesity is a major health concern.
It was worrying, then, when a Burger King Instagram account last week posted a photo of a positive pregnancy test. I mean, is this a brand that's fit to raise a child? Would it be caught trying to wean its offspring on Whoppers? While rival brands fought over who was the father, confusion reigned for a good 24 hours until the meaning of the post became clear.
Uploaded without any caption, the image of a pregnancy test on the Burger King Dominican Republic Instagram account immediately sparked a furor. Was it a mistake? some wondered. Had the community manager accidentally shared a personal photo on the brand's account? Had that creepy plastic-headed King had an inappropriate work relationship with an employee?
The post picked up over 150,000 likes and became one of those rare viral phenomenons that even rivals have to respond to. Community managers saw the attention the post was getting, probably wept a little, and hurried to think of a witty reply that could make the news all about them instead.
"Shh, Happy Meals keep secrets" McDonald's replied in the comments. "Things happened," Taco Bell wrote. Papa Johns posted a gif of Samuel L. Jackson as John Shaft looking surprised.
It wasn't until a day later that Burger King revealed the meaning of the apparently random post. It wasn't a human pregnancy test at all. Burger King's having Baby Burgers.
I don't know if it's a sign of these shrinkflationary times, but a brand that built itself on the argument that size matters with its flagship Whopper is now selling dainty canapes. There's a Baby Whopper, a Baby Cheesebacon and Baby Rodeo, apparently. Nobody gets to be the father: the triplets appear to be miniature genetic clones.
Burger King, if you're reading, I guess congratulations are in order. If not for the brioche buns in the oven then for at least for taking the Duolingofication of social media strategy to a new level.
