AI image generators have already created some whoppers over the past year or so. Remember the image of the Pope in a puffer jacket? Or the various AI images that won photo competitions? But now Burger King is using generative AI to create Whoppers with a capital 'W'.
The fast food giant has launched its own AI image generator as part of its Million Dollar Whopper campaign. Fans are invited to choose their dream ingredients for the perfect burger. The AI will then cook them up into an image showing what the creation could look like.
The campaign takes the form of a competition to design a new Whopper. Participants can choose up to eight toppings, including options that Burger King doesn’t currently use. The choices are first presented as typographic Whoppers. Once you're happy with tour invention, the AI will generate an image of what the burger might look like in real life.
Three finalists will be invited to Burger King’s HQ in Miami to perfect their creations ahead of a nationwide taste test. The final three burgers will be put to a public vote, and the overall winner will pick up a whopping (sorry) $1 million prize.
It may sound bizarre for a fastfood brand to launch its own AI image generator. As we have noted before amid a bizarre case of Uber Eats using AI images of menu items, food photography is really an area you want to keep AI away from, at least when it comes to the dishes themselves. But this campaign actually sits perfectly with Burger King's long-running 'Have it Your Way' tagline, which launched way back in 1973. It makes use of a new technology to apply that same concept for a modern audience in a more interactive and engaging way.
Pat O’Toole, the brand's chief marketing officer, said: “Burger King is all about Having It Your Way, and this contest is a true embodiment of that. More than 50% of Guests customize their Whopper sandwich, and now, the possibilities of what those customizations include are endless. And, whether or not your Whopper ends up in restaurants nationwide, we’re giving guests the opportunity to experience and share their creation using the power of AI technology.”
To be honest, it's also just refreshing to see Burger King go back to running a campaign that doesn't involve trolling McDonald's.
The contest is only running in the US and you have to be a Burger King Royal Perks member to take part. Entries close on 17 March.
