Burger King’s genius Social Distancing Whopper will make your eyes water

As lockdown restrictions begin to ease in certain countries across the world, brands are facing a new challenge: how to promote the reopening of their stores and restaurants while also encouraging social distancing. While some have opted for simple, informative messaging, Burger King Italy has chosen a more humorous approach – and it's right on the nose.

The brand recently introduced a new Social Distancing Whopper. It is, quite simply, a Whopper with extra onions (three times extra, to be precise), and it promises "to keep people away from you". It isn't quite as medically sound as a face mask (our where to buy a face mask guide has you covered there), but this tongue-in-cheek ad is one of the more creative takes we've seen on social distancing.

The concept, created by agency Wunderman Thompson, is actually available to buy in Burger King's Italian restaurants. One US YouTuber asked his local Burger King to recreate the dish, and described it as "the most pungent taste" he has ever experienced. A success, then. 

The Social Distancing Whopper isn't Burger King's only creative response to the need for social distancing – it is now offering huge cardboard crowns (above) to diners at its German restaurants. And while these creations are obviously designed to raise a smile rather than offering genuine protection, there's a level of ingenuity and design that raises them above mere opportunism (unlike McDonald's's disastrous social distancing logo).   

We've loved seeing creative responses to the 'new normal', such as one optician's eye-catching safety screen. And if all of this makes you feel like unleashing your own creativity, learning how to make a face mask is one sure fire way of combining safety and style. 

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