Whopperspiracy: Burger King lifts the bun on the Whopper's secret ingredient

In a world full of fake news and recipe secrecy, Burger King UK is launching a major new campaign showing the nation that there’s no secrets behind it’s famous Whopper burger: it’s just fire.

Whilst Burger King might be synonymous with ‘flame-grilled’ to many, people up and down the country have thought up countless theories behind the product’s secret ingredients. After all, how could the secret possibly be fire? It tastes too good for something so simple.

To put the conspiracies to bed, BBH has created a campaign showing the nation how fire impacts the quality of Burger King’s much-loved food. Rather than being simply a cooking method, the fire represents a key ingredient. In Whopper terms, flame-grilling means a smokey smell. It means locked in juices and intense taste.

Inspired by actual theories from members of the public on Reddit, the campaign consists of a series of films in which the viewer is immersed in a world of Whopper flavour conspiracy, only to reveal the one and only Burger King secret: fire. The first spot in the series, launching 17th May, opens on a pair of customers in a Burger King restaurant discussing the theory that the smokey flavour you get in a Whopper is in fact a liquid smoke. The film, directed by Andrew Gaynord, ends on the tagline ‘It’s not a secret. It’s real fire.’

Burger King – Whopperspiracy

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Agency BBH/London
Production Company MindsEye
Director Andrew Gaynord

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Credits

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Agency BBH/London
Production Company MindsEye
Director Andrew Gaynord
Post Production The Mill/London
Editor Saam Hodivala
Sound Designer Adam Smyth
Executive Producer Hughie Phillips
Producer Max Yeoman

DP Benedict Spence
Art Director Wil Maxey
Chief Creative Officer Stephen de Wolf
Copywriter Elliott White
Creative Director Felipe Guimaraes
Producer Zaf Choudhury

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Felipe Guimarães, Creative Director at BBH, said: “When I first heard about the crazy conspiracy theories about the Whopper's flavour, I couldn't believe it. Deciding to make those theories the basis for a campaign felt both insightful and quite funny. The result is a series of ads, with characters we can't help but warm to.”

Soco Nunez, Marketing Director, Burger King UK said: “The Whopper’s secret is that there are No Secrets; Just Fire. It’s that simple. Flame-grilling is what gives the Whopper its unique flavour. In a world of fake news people find it hard to believe the incredible taste of The Whopper can be that simple, but it really is. At Burger King we pride ourselves on being transparent with customers, and offering them great tasting food, so, we won’t be keeping any secrets about our delicious burgers. They’re all real, with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

We’re very excited to launch our AR smoke signals in select locations this week. We’re hopeful the experience will help see customers return through our doors for indoor dining following the easing of Covid restrictions, as well as providing a cheeky reminder of why the Whopper is one of a kind.”