One advert that seems to have got people talking over the past week is the latest offering, from Burger King entitled 'Bundles. of Joy'. It shows images of mums who have recently given birth tucking into Burger King burgers, with text that says "arrived at" plus a time – it's unclear whether the time refers to the baby or the burger, which, I assume, is the point.
The spot was created by BBH London and originally went out on 26 September, the day the most babies are born in the UK. We didn't write about it at the time because we weren't quite sure how we felt about it, but a few days later it's still on my mind, though I still don't think we'll be adding it to our best adverts of all time list just yet.
What's so unsettling about it? First of all, most brands wouldn't go near the moments immediately postpartum, probably with good reason. Mothercare did so a few years ago and the likes of Pampers focuses on newborns, but those brands are linked to babies and parenthood. Is Burger King really a brand that we want to associate with giving birth? Will we start adding a visualisation of that first big burger into birthing plans?
In its defence, the spot features real mums eating Burger King shortly after giving birth, and is based on research by Mumsnet (on behalf of Burger King UK) that found that the food mums have after giving birth is some of the most unforgettable. The survey also revealed that 39 per cent of respondents would have appreciated a burger or fries as their first post-birth meal.
Some might say that postpartum moments are untapped territory for brands. But where does it stop? Are we going to start judging women on what they wear after this event, encouraging them to wear a particular charm bracelet, perhaps, or a blanket with a miniature version for their baby? Are partners going to get in on the action, with the most "fashionable" birthing partners sporting a particular type of hospital bag, perhaps, or being applauded for having brought on-trend birthing snacks?
The Instagram comments on Burger King's account range from "this might just be the cleverest ad for food I've ever seen" to those touting a petition to get it taken down (which had attracted just over 100 signatures at the time of writing). Other people are discussing the nutritional value of Burger King and likening advertising junk food to advertising smoking. Fair play to Burger King, the brand has definitely got people talking (and at least its not lambasting McDonald's, for once). But the juries out on whether there's really an appetite for this campaign.
