Problem:

1 out of 5 people in the world cannot read or write. And when you can’t read, you can’t be your way.

Solution:

To raise awareness of the global illiteracy crisis, we used social media to put our guests in the shoes of those who cannot read. To achieve this, we created the first-ever campaign using the new “Translate” button on Facebook and Instagram. During World Literacy Month, we posted entirely in foreign languages. Not until our followers clicked the “Translate” button did they reveal our true message: “For those who can’t read everything looks like a foreign language. Help make a difference at BKMcLamore.org.”

During World Literacy Month, Burger King’s social media channels posted seemingly normal product photography of its popular menu items, except for one thing: the post copy was written entirely in foreign languages. This unexpected detail got our fans to stop scrolling and engage with our posts. Not until they clicked the “translate” button — a new feature on Facebook and Instagram — did they reveal our true message about the global illiteracy crisis. In 24 hours, our posts received over 28,000 organic engagements. Fans jumped in with comments about how much they enjoyed the clever tactic of a foreign language to show them how it feels to not be able to read.

Impressions: 547,000

Conversation rate: 225% increase in conversation about World Literacy

Brand Conversation: 55% spike in brand conversation rate