[Staciemao]

Has anyone seen these? Our TV is on exactly once a week, so my hubby can watch the Seahawks game...so maybe they've been around forever and there's already been a discussion. But in case there hasn't:

You see shots of native people: an Eastern European woman leading a herd of sheep, an Asian man in a hut, etc. Then there are shots of Americans leading these people to a table and giving them both a Big Mac and a Whopper. They do a taste test and of course all the "Whopper Virgins" pick the Whopper.

I am apalled. Why on earth is this an appealing advertising campaign? A part of me thinks that it's probably not real, but the website says "no actors were used". So they took people who (mercifully) had NOT been exposed to the American diet and gave them fast food? What the heck?

I am writing to Burger King and would ask others to do the same.

 

[dogmom327]

OMG Stacie! I had the exact same thought. I said something to DH and he just gave me the "crazy hippie" look but I think those commercials are terrible! I cringe every time one comes on.

 

[vivvysue]

i have been anti bk ads for some time.. their last big promotion here had a woman attacking a man physically for not being deserving enough for whatever burger it was. my partner and i were stunned and both of us said that if it were reversed and the man attacked the woman it would have never aired.

appalling!!

i feel the same way about the virgin ads

v

 

[Staciemao]

Okay, I saw another one, and this time a man from a fishing village in Thailand was given his hamburgers and didn't know what to do with them. So all the (American and British) "documentarians" or whatever were sitting in the back...laughing at this man. They were like, "Oh, isn't it cute? He doesn't know how to eat the hamburger!"

Sooooooo disrespectful. I am still trying to word my letter in a way that is not rude, but I think I'm still too mad.

:

 

[Ditto]

I saw these ads for the first time on Sunday. I was appalled! I was trying to decide if I was over reacting or if they are really that bad. I think I will write to Burger King too. It's pretty disgusting.

 

[gillibean]

It really is beyond me how egocentric advertisers can be. As though it's so weird that most of the world doesn't know (or care) about a lot of American things. I wonder how many marketers would know what to do in a fishing boat - should we laugh at them?

:

 

[mamabearsoblessed]

I saw the first one you (the op) mentioned. I actually thought 'no they wouldn't'. Needless to say they did. Disrespect. Absolutely.
and to say 'virgins'

:
Can you imagine the board sitting around the table as the producer/advert. pitched this commercial? uke *shudder*

 

[sweetpeppers]

Those commercials sicken me. The whole idea is so horrible.

 

[SeekingSerenity]

I am glad I wasn't the only one who was utterly horrified at this commercial. I've only seen one (I don't watch TV often) but I was completely disgusted. First by the use of the word "virgin" in conjunction with a friggin' hamburger commercial, and second by the assumption that to push our sickening, American junk-food diet on people who've managed to go their whole lives without succumbing to it is not only acceptable, but admirable and even humorous.

Whatever it takes to sell a burger...

. What's worse is that I am sure there are many folks out there who think this commercial is cute, funny or appropriate. UGH!!!

 

[AFWife]

Agreed. It's stupid.

Can you imagine how SICK those poor people got after eating that crap? Heck, I get sick after eating anything from McDonalds (I usually avoid BK)

Of course, I'm pretty much disgusted with most of the commercials I see on TV now. hmmm....off to start a thread

 

[Turquesa]

First Western missionaries tried to bring their religion to these regions. Now they're bringing Whoppers. Yeesh.

 

[Jennifer Z]

This is the only place that would understand why those are so disgusting. It seemed so disrespectful.

My dh mentioned that he read someplace the people didn't like either of them, which seems more likely. I would guess that they only liked the BK by default because it tasted like it had been cooked over fire more than the other one (probably closer to what they were used to), but I am sure the texture and flavor were generally pretty weird to them.

 

[bscal]

Burger King commercials have been pretty stupid anyways for years. In fact I think most commercials in general are pretty stupid. DH and I ALWAYS fast forward through them... unless it's a Mac commercial. DH worked for Microsoft once upon a time... so we find the Mac commercials quite amusing.

My comment to DH about the new Whopper commercial was "Are they going to pay the medical bills for these people when they have stomach problems after eating this crap?" Because taking someone who has never eaten fast food and giving them not one but TWO greasy cheeseburgers to eat is not going to do good things for their system. I feel sorry for these people.

Beth

 

[madsommer]

Oh my goodness! I"m so happy to find this thread. I just told me husband that I was really offended by these commercials. He laughed at me, calling me a

:. But seriously, watching those commercials makes me sick.

 

[AllyRae]

What an awful concept.

I hope it's not true...

 

[michelleklu]

Oh, I can't believe that. How disrespectful and disgusting.

 

[onelilguysmommy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jennifer Z This is the only place that would understand why those are so disgusting. It seemed so disrespectful. My dh mentioned that he read someplace the people didn't like either of them, which seems more likely. I would guess that they only liked the BK by default because it tasted like it had been cooked over fire more than the other one (probably closer to what they were used to), but I am sure the texture and flavor were generally pretty weird to them.

thats what i was thinking, but well...theyre stuck in a machine just like at a pizza place and rolled through so its not like theyre cooked on a grill like they want to show anyway.
i dont think they taste remotely "flame broiled" and refuse to eat their food anyway (no im not saying mcdonalds is better but it actually doesnt mke me sick..weird) but seriously...!!!

how did anyone think they were a good idea? especially so many!

 

[NettleTea]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turquesa First Western missionaries tried to bring their religion to these regions. Now they're bringing Whoppers. Yeesh.

:

 

[2xy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by onelilguysmommy thats what i was thinking, but well...theyre stuck in a machine just like at a pizza place and rolled through so its not like theyre cooked on a grill like they want to show anyway.

I worked at BK for two years in high school, and the "machine" that the burgers roll through is a gas grill. They are flame broiled....just not by hand.

That is, unless BK has altered their equipment since then.

 

[plantmama]

I read an article in our paper a week or two ago about how people were offended by these commercials. So, it's not just "crazies" like us that see it.
The burger king guy defended them and called them documentaries. I guess they are done by the guy who did the dog town (skateboarding?) movie(s).
I haven't seen one in awhile and dh has been watching lots of football lately, so maybe they were pulled?

But I agree, they are not stupid, they are just all around wrong.