The 'Originals Pepper Jack' Burger King's first trial of the ‘Super Premium line in Korea, is a product that does not fall behind and can stand against high-priced indie burgers. However, Burger King is underrated in Korea for being a Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) brand. Since the new product was created with excellent ingredients, extensive research, and testing, we decided to launch a campaign that was uniquely witty instead of a simple ad claiming ‘premium quality.’ Moreover, there was a need to break consumers' biases against the brand and showcase the high quality of Burger King's new product.

“I AM NOT KING, a fake indie brand that hides Burger King's identity”

Instead of directly claiming "Burger King is the best burger brand," we wanted to hear that the brand was a “truly delicious premium burger brand” through the real voice of consumers. So, we boldly decided to set aside the crown. To do this, we hid Burger King’s identity and created a fake brand with the name “I AM NOT KING,” a name seemingly mocking Burger King.

To create the impression that it is an actual existing brand and to instill a sense of scale and anticipation for the new brand, an active social media channel was created, OOH displays were installed, and a fake store was opened in the ‘Gangnam’ and ‘Hongdae’ areas, the mecca of indie burger brands.

Korean consumers acquire and share information about 'tasty restaurants' through social media. They have a curiosity for new brands or foods and enjoy trying them out. Burger King decided to leverage this tendency of Korean consumers to promote its new product.

Concealing all traces of Burger King, we staged the brand as a new brand, 'I AM NOT KING,' and promoted it on social media. We even temporarily opened an actual offline store, inviting customers to taste the product. To further enhance the surprise factor when consumers later discovered the identity of 'I AM NOT KING,' various clues were strategically hidden within the store, such as brand introductions hinting at Burger King on the menu, in the Wi-Fi password, and the underside of the serving dishes.

A month prior to the launch of a new product, a social media account was created for a brand called 'I AM NOT KING' to announce the launch. Consumers and famous influencers were invited to a tasting event at the offline store. In addition, there was a billboard, bus shelter, and guerilla poster campaign in areas with a high concentration of indie burger brands.

On the official launch date, the social media channel, billboards, bus shelter and guerilla posters were changed to 'I AM BURGER KING'. A film was also released on Burger King's official media channels and stores, revealing all the activities that had been carried out.

Consumers were surprised to discover the real identity of 'I AM NOT KING'. They expressed extreme surprise on social media after discovering the clues hidden in the store throughout the film.

*Total Campaign Views 8,730,000 (* 181%↑vs. expectation)

*Campaign Video Views 6,790,000 (* 141%↑vs. expectation)

*Total Likes 240,000+ / Total Comments 5,000+

*Initial stock sold out, additional sales in progress after ingredient restock

*520,000+ burgers sold within 1 month of launch (* 198%↑vs. expected target)

*Additional sales +231% vs. Week 1 target, vs. +209% vs. Week 2 target

*Convert from a limited-time menu to the regular menu

*Account 10% of Burger King Korea's sales during the sales period