The fast food chain is encouraging customers to visit its less-fortunate competitors.
As a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous fast food franchise locations, even from popular chains like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, or Jack-in-the-Box, have been forced to close due to declining sales and rising costs. One chain that has not experienced losses, at least not to the same extent as others, is Burger King. While Burger King has been forced to close locations, according to its mostly recent earnings report, the number of closed locations is roughly on par with the number of closures they experienced this time last year. In their position of superiority, the chain has decided to launch a somewhat smug ad campaign.
Burger King launched a new campaign on Monday that is set to last until Halloween encouraging customers to visit the shuttered storefronts of their former rivals. Any customer that visits one of five abandoned properties that previously housed a competing fast-food chain and confirms their location with the Burger King app will be entitled to a free Whopper sandwich. Pictures of the properties are available on the Burger King website.
“To us, nothing is scarier than a place that never flame-grilled,” said Ellie Doty, the chief marketing officer for Burger King North America. “While Halloween looks a bit different this year, we’re embracing it in a way that keeps guests’ safety top of mind in current times.”
The closed storefronts are located in the following cities and towns:
- Johnston, Rhode Island
- Birmingham, Alabama
- McHenry, Illinois
- Houston, Texas
- Dayton, Ohio
The campaign has stressed that a customer only needs to be within 300 feet of one of these storefronts to secure their free Whopper, and that actually trespassing around or within them is not advised.
