Advertising: Analysis Of The ‘burger King’ AD Essay Examples

Contemporary organizations design strategies to serve varied purposes. Business strategies are developed to increase market shares, generate profits, and achieve market leadership. Other marketing strategies are designed to increase sales of products or services being offered. Marketing strategies focus on enhancing strengths and core competencies on the 4 Ps: product, price, place, and promotion. One of these global organizations is Burger King, one of the popular fast food hamburger chains whose origin was traced in 1954 . With increasing competition from other hamburger chains all over the world, Burger King has opted to develop advertising strategies that generated controversial reactions from the public. One of the ads is for the promotion of the ‘Super Seven Incher Sandwich’ . The current discourse hereby aims to present an analysis of the Burger King Ad bearing the promotional line: ‘It’ll Blow Your Mind Away’ through describing the system of signs which communicates the messages from the ad .
The advertisement contains a collation of eight (8) visual images where six (6) of the images contain models, one (1) image showcased a model’s hands, and one (1) only featured one of the hamburger sandwiches promoted by Burger King in close-up shot. At the onset, viewers focus would be directed to the food and to the image of the model who was clad in shiny gold bikini basking gloriously under the sun on a beach at the act of eating the advertised hamburger. There is also another model, a male nude model donning only a crown (with Burger King logo on its center), to symbolize his image as a king. A lush carpet made from lion’s fur with the lion’s head could be observed to strategically hide his private part. Likewise, there is also a model whose side view image shows her mouth partially open and right in front of it is the image of the ‘Super Seven Incher Sandwich’ being promoted. This image is shown twice in the collage of advertisements: one on the left top portion in smaller size and one at the right lower portion in larger size. In addition, there is a female model shown at the right upper portion of the ad seen licking her right wrist; supposedly indicating that juice from the burger oozes down and prompting her to lick it. Finally, the image which showcased only the model’s hands in X position was seen apparently grabbing two (2) big sized Burger King Hamburgers.
In sum, the current discourse effectively achieved its objective of presenting an analysis of the Burger King Ad. The signs which communicated the messages of the ad generated controversial reactions and responses from the public; including indignation, complaints, allegations of ethical breaches, and perceived sexual aggression through failure to seek appropriate consensus to use the model’s image for the intended purpose. The impact that the advertisement and subsequent marketing strategies of Burger King took a toll on the firm’s market share and made sustaining profitable performance a challenging feat.

Works Cited

Model calls for a Burger King boycott after she was featured in a sexually suggestive ad. (2014, August 14). Retrieved January 17, 2015, from FoxNews.com: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/08/13/model-calls-for-burger-king-boycott-after-was-featured-in-sexually-suggestive/
Burger King. (2009). It'll Blow Your Mind Away.
Burger King Corporation. (2014). About Us. Retrieved January 17, 2015, from bk.com: http://www.bk.com/about-bk
Miller, J. R. (2009, June 30). Critics Cringe at Ad for Burger King's Latest Sandwich. Retrieved January 17, 2015, from FoxNews.com: http://www.foxnews.com/story/2009/06/30/critics-cringe-at-ad-for-burger-king-latest-sandwich/#ixzz1gGzZpk2N
Russell, M. (2012, April 15). How Burger King Went From McDonald's Greatest Rival To Total Train Wreck. Retrieved January 17, 2015, from Business Insider: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-burger-king-went-from-mcdonalds-greatest-rival-to-total-train-wreck-2012-4?op=1
Soloman, J. (2011). Signs of Life in the USA. Bedford/St. Martin's.