Fans can scan an AR ad for a major discount, if they’re fast enough.
In 2017, Burger King launched a tongue-in-cheek ad campaign ‘attacking’ rival fast-food chain McDonald’s. Partnering with German agency Grabarz & Partners, BK took advantage of the hype surrounding the release of 2017’s It remake to poke fun at McDonald’s by comparing the chain’s infamous clown mascot to the films terrifying antagonist, Pennywise.
With the film’s sequel IT Chapter 2 now in theaters, Burger King has once again teamed up with Grabarz & Partners for another round of clown-themed marketing, this time with an AR twist.
Entitled ‘Escape the Clown,’ the interactive campaign offers users the chance to earn a coupon for a one-cent Whopper from their nearest Burger King location if they can complete a time-based challenge. Here’s how it works: using the MyBK app available on iOS & Android, users located in Germany can visit any McDonald’s establishment to find a special AR-enabled advertisement that’s been snuck into the organization’s cinema-themed magazine (located at every McDonald’s restaurant).
Once scanned, the ad will come to life in AR as several 3D balloons with the words “Escape the Clown” scribbled across them appear above the magazine. A hidden message will manifest directly on top of the ad as well, giving users directions to the closest Burger King location. If the user can make it to the destination in under a certain amount of time, the geotagged app will award them with a coupon for a basically-free burger.
Much like the original 2017 campaign, ‘Escape the Clown’ is available exclusively to German users. This is just the latest use of AR technology for advertising purposes by Burger King, who’ve been experimenting with new forms of immersive branding for a couple of years now. This past December the company ran a near identical campaign in which Brazilian users could earn a one-cent Whopper by lighting various McDonald’s ads on ‘fire’ in AR using the MyBK app.
Feature Image Credit: Burger King Deutschland
