Cannes Lions

Pay Cut Whopper

WUNDERMAN THOMPSON, Dubai / BURGER KING / 2021

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Overview

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Overview

Background

Anything, anywhere can be delivered to anyone in the UAE anytime. From gasoline to PCR tests, everything is one delivery app away.

That’s not different with the on-demand food category, with the UAE being the second-largest market for online food delivery in GCC.

Yet most restaurants remain reliant on food delivery aggregator apps such as Deliveroo and Talabat, keeping their focus on the brick-and-mortar experience.

Then came Covid-19 and its lockdowns, forcing brands to dedicate even attention to online. And the brief became clear: stand out in the online channel with Burger King’s own delivery app.

However, we were faced with another major barrier: Pay cuts affected nearly 8 out of 10 companies in the UAE forcing people to get by with less while everything else remained at full price.

So, how could the Burger King app stand out during one of the toughest times for the UAE?

Idea

Pay Cut Whopper. Pay less when you need it most.

At the heart of this idea was the shared sentiment that 2020 was turning out to be a pretty unfair year.

So we decided to make things a little bit fair by offering discounts matching people’s pay cut. We took a human and relatable approach in times of little hope.

We modified the classic app user experience by adding discount settings that anyone could customize. It was a simple trust filter that empowered consumers.

Strategy

2020 showed a clear shift in trend from brick-and-mortar retail and F&B to online channels. But such insight only scratched the surface. Our quest then became to identify meaningful ways for Burger King to differentiate itself in a crowded (and virtually only) market – where willingness to pay dropped due to pay cuts.

Brands compete for the online customer on the basis of product and price. We changed the game. Our competitive edge for Burger King became a new brand purpose.

Where brands go to sell, we decided that BK would go to listen. We created a trust filter in the app that allowed consumers to avail discounts equivalent to their pay cuts. We invited a cash conscious audience to actually spend on BK by sharing their pain.

We turned the Burger King app into a proof of Burger King's empathy – when people needed it the most.

Execution

During Covid-19 we created a bespoke campaign targeting UAE residents who were facing salary cuts, to drive downloads of the new Burger King app.

The campaign came with a simple message:

Pay less when you need it most by turning salary cuts into price discounts.

All they had to do was download the Burger King UAE app, and add their pay cut percentage and its duration. That’s all! No other questions asked.

We modified the classic app user experience on the Burger King UAE app, by adding discount settings that anyone could customize and activate instantly.

The communication was channeled to online films and social posts on key digital platforms such as Google, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to BK’s audience. We also used the playful Burger King tone and empathetic approach for in-store communication and outdoor displays in central areas around the country to spread our message.

Outcome

Our results reveal that more than 22 million people were reached & engaged, with over 250K downloads & rising, plus 30% sales increase vs 2019. What's more, the earned PR value was nearly USD 2.7M.

The promo saw an incredible +70% redemption rate, while at one time 4 out of 5 burgers ordered were using the discount. Plus, we raced to #3 & #4 (from #28 & #68) on the Play Store & App Store charts!

Amazingly, our app data also showed that discounts activated matched the country’s pay cut numbers very closely.

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