While many fast food chains seem to be leaning into some healthier offerings, Burger King (QSR) is taking a completely different approach: The more insane your lunch is (and more Instagrammable), the better.
Take its most recent limited edition sandwich in Japan. The King Yeti was a limited edition sandwich that boasts four patties for a total of one pound of beef, six slices of Gouda cheese, and comes doused in teriyaki sauce.
At a horrifying 1,590 calories before adding on French fries and your soda of choice, eating this monstrosity also earned customers boasting rights, which BK smartly provided in sticker form.
Unhinge Your Jaw For Burger's King Newest Limited Edition
Now that King Yeti's run is over, a new challenger has appeared to destroy the health of all willing Japanese citizens.
Burger King
Called the "Big Mouth," this burger first made its debut in 2021 with Cheese and Spicy varieties. It was clearly a success, and those who relished in the madness of these sandwiches will soon be reliving those moments in a whole new way.
The brand-new versions dropped on March 3 and will also only be available for a two-week run. "Hash & Chili" features two all-beef patties, two slices of cheese, a hash brown patty and a dollop of chili.
If you prefer your calorie-blasting lunches to remain meat-heavy, go for the "Cheese & Cheese" burger instead, which has three all-beef patties as well as both sliced and shredded cheese.
If you ask politely for the "half cut" at the counter, a Burger King employee will be more than happy to slice the sandwich into two parts for you, in hopes of cramming it into your mouth more efficiently.
The "Hash & Chili" burger will sell for 1,070 yen ($9.28 U.S.), while the "Cheese & Cheese" is 1,280 yen ($11.10 U.S.). The two sandwiches will be for sale at all Burger King locations in Japan until March 17.
Why Burger King's Approach is Working
Burger King Japan knows that combining a really crazy sandwich people will want to show their friends with a limited edition run works, and it is leaning hard on the concept.
While its a hard opposite to what most high profile fast food chains are doing (and insanely unhealthy for its customers, obviously), it clearly poses an appeal for content creators who want to show their generous follower bases something they've never seen elsewhere.
For instance, popular YouTube personality Sharmeleon's video of her trying out Burger King's menu with fellow influencer Chris Broad from Abroad in Japan has more than 500,00 views to date, and Burger King spent exactly zero dollars to get her to show off its products.
Between the two, their viewership is more than three million.
Those familiar with the classic 2006 Burger King commercial "Eat Like Snake" that aired in Korea also know that the company has been at this approach for a long time. It's completely wacky, but it strikes just the right note on social media thanks to its unabashed weirdness, which makes fans clamor for it.
While Burger King's U.S. arm hasn't dared to get as wild as Japan's has yet, we suspect that it could have a similar effect in the states if BK is willing to take a few more chances. Angriest Whopper and Ghost Whopper are certainly dipping their toes in the water.
But toss on some more patties or pile on the weird cheeses (or both!), and Burger King could ascend to an all-new tier of legend.
