The Burger King® Brand Shows That Mold Can Be a Beautiful Thing

The Burger King^® brand showcases a Whopper^® sandwich growing mold to demonstrate the beauty of no artificial preservatives.

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Burger King^® brand has pulled a surprising, global, integrated advertising campaign showing its iconic Whopper^® sandwich covered in mold. Yes, you read it right. A Whopper^® sandwich covered in mold. Instead of featuring its product with the classic, flawless, and often perfect photographic style commonly used to showcase fast food products, the Burger King^® brand let its most iconic product rot to make a powerful statement: The brand has achieved a milestone by removing artificial preservatives from the Whopper^® sandwich, in most European countries and select markets in the United States*.

Additionally, the brand has removed colors and flavors from artificial sources from all core menu sandwiches and sides in those European countries and across the United States.

“The Burger King^® brand is currently rolling out the Whopper^® sandwich with no preservatives, colors, or flavors from artificial sources in the U.S. The product is already available in more than 400 restaurants in the country and will reach all restaurants throughout the year.” - Christopher Finazzo, President Americas, Burger King^® Corporation.

From the bun to the freshly sliced onions, tomatoes and lettuce, and the 100% beef patty - the striking images show the real mold that grows on every piece of the iconic burger. The ads make a reference to the number of days that have passed since the sandwich was prepared, and a line reads, “The beauty of no artificial preservatives.”

“At Burger King^® restaurants, we believe that real food tastes better. That’s why we are working hard to remove preservatives, colors and flavors from artificial sources from the food we serve in all countries around the world,” said Fernando Machado, Restaurant Brands International Global Chief Marketing Officer.

*The Burger King^® brand is currently rolling out the Whopper^® sandwich with no preservatives, colors or flavors from artificial sources in the U.S. The product is already available in more than 400 restaurants in the U.S. and will reach all restaurants by the end of the year. In the U.S., more than 90% of all food ingredients at Burger King^® restaurants are free from colors, flavors, and preservatives from artificial sources. The brand also removed MSG and high-fructose corn syrup from all food items.

About Burger King^®

Founded in 1954, the Burger King^® brand is the second largest fast food hamburger chain in the world. The original HOME OF THE Whopper^®, the Burger King^® system operates more than 15,000 locations in approximately 100 countries and U.S. territories. Almost 100 percent of Burger King^® restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees, many of them family-owned operations that have been in business for decades. The Burger King^® brand is owned by Restaurant Brands International Inc. (TSX,NYSE:QSR), one of the world's largest quick service restaurant companies with more than $27 billion in system-wide sales and over 23,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries and U.S. territories. To learn more about the Burger King^® brand, please visit the Burger King^® brand website at www.bk.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.