We came up with a strategy to launch a successful premium burger line in Korea's increasingly competitive hamburger market. This was because indie burger brands were growing rapidly, and Burger King was undervalued by consumers because it was a franchise brand. Burger King was as confident in making high-quality hamburgers as it was in the indie burger brand. So we decided to introduce our new product, Originals Pepper Jack, by creating a fake indie burger brand that hid Burger King's identity.

Korea's hamburger market is worth 3.9 billion dollars, with indie burger brands accounting for 10 percent of it. Consumers prefer to experience the taste and atmosphere that cannot be experienced by QSR brands, global premium burger brands. And in Korea, hamburgers have shifted their image to a nice meal, not just a fast food to fill a meal.

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. So, We decided to leverage this tendency of Korean consumers to promote its new product.

Currently, Korea is overflowing with global burger brands, to the point where it is referred to as the ‘battleground for Premium Burgers.' In addition, competition among Korean indie burger brands is intensifying as they are gaining huge popularity. Despite the high price of indie burgers, Korean consumers are satisfied with the premium taste and experience, and they have a very high affinity for the new brand.

So, in order to successfully launch "Originals Pepper Jack" a premium burger that is superior to the indie burger brand, we planned the 'I AM NOT KING' campaign with the indie burger brand as our competitor, not the existing franchise. It's a kind of blind test to hide Burger King's identity and get objective taste evaluation and recognition from consumers.

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.

In order to overcome the bias consumers have towards well-known franchises, a fake brand was created to hide the Burger King brand. Different from other products released by Burger King, the product was evaluated only based on its taste at a specially created offline store. Boldly setting aside the reputation Burger King had in Korea, We planned and executed to allow consumers to experience the brand in a new way.

One month before the release of the new product, a social media account for 'I AM NOT KING' was created to announce the launch of the brand, consumers and influencers were invited to a tasting event at the offline store. We executed Billboard ads, Busshelter ads, and Guerrilla posters on a large scale in areas where premium burger brands and indie brands are concentrated.

The official launch date, the social media channel, which was released as 'I AM NOT KING', and Billboards, Bus Shelter AD, and Guerrilla posters were changed to 'I AM BURGER KING'. A film was also released on Burger King’s official media channel and stores, revealing all the activities that were carried out. Consumers were surprised to find out the real identity of ‘I AM NOT KING.’ Upon discovering the clues that were hidden in the store throughout the film, they expressed extreme surprise on social media.

*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