Monday, March 8, 2021

BK UK's International Women's Day Tweet Sparks Controversy

Ad agencies in the United Kingdom and Europe, even more than those in the United States tend to always skirt controversy with their advertising campaigns and PR efforts.

That certainly was true on Monday, which was International Women's Day around the world. 

Whule most companies used the day to focus on their women employees or customers and their accomplishments, Burger King in the United Kingdom tweeted this:


The second and third tweet below the original one went on to explain that more women should go into the culinary arts, and study to become chefs. A worthy goal, but few people got beyond the shock of the first statement, which is a bigoted, Archie Bunker-like slam against feminism and women working.

The firestorm that this ham-fisted statement created on Twitter and offline as well didn't much more damage to the Burger King brand on both sides of the ocean then the positive good that their internship program will ever do.

Just another lesson that being too clever by half can backfire very quickly, and that a second and third pair of eyes should look at everything that's posted in a national and international ad campaign, which is what anything posted to Twitter needs to be considered.