To prove how fresh Burger King's tomatoes are, the fast food retailer distributed them to the public. Weeks later, the restaurant asked for the tomatoes back in exchange for free whoppers. The stunt saw Burger King distribute fresh tomatoes in front of all of its French locations for three straight weeks. Essentially, the tomatoes were packaged, date stamped and asked to be brought back as edible currency for a free whopper.
The successful stunt saw thousands of returned tomatoes that presumably ended up in customer's sandwiches. The interactive giveaway is another example of how fast food restaurants are attempting to incorporate fresh and healthy food into their menus. In handing out the tomatoes, Burger King brought consumers into the restaurant's process, giving customers the sense that they participated in their food's preparation process.
Burger Giveaway Stunts
Burger King Locations in France Swapped Fresh Tomatoes for Free Whoppers
Trend Themes
1. Interactive Giveaways - Fast food restaurants can use interactive giveaways like Burger King's fresh tomato stunt to engage consumers and incorporate fresh, healthy foods into their menus.
2. Edible Currency - Incentivizing customers with edible currencies like Burger King's tomato-for-whopper exchange could become a new marketing trend for fast food restaurants.
3. Consumer Participation - Fast food restaurants can increase consumer engagement by involving them in the food preparation process, as Burger King did with their fresh tomato giveaway.
Industry Implications
1. Fast Food - Fast food restaurants can use innovative marketing strategies like interactive giveaways to engage customers and promote healthy food options.
2. Health Food - The success of Burger King's fresh tomato stunt shows that there is potential for fast food chains to incorporate more fresh and healthy food options into their menus.
3. Marketing - The use of edible currencies and interactive giveaways, like Burger King's fresh tomato exchange, could become a new trend for promoting brands and engaging with consumers.