Unless you’ve been living under a rock or aren’t a fan of football, you’ll know that the men’s football World Cup is on. But the best (or worst) part of it is that the tournament is being held in Russia. The reason I say that is because Russians are known for being extreme. Incidents of molestation by a football fan and a fully-grown bear on the streets of Moscow have already come to light. And to top it all off, the Russian wing of Burger King had come up with a ridiculous method of selling free burgers.
According to TIME, the Russian wing of Burger King had floated an advert claiming that they’d give away free burgers to pregnant women. But that was not all.
Most of you would be thinking that what is wrong with giving away free burgers to pregnant women? That’s because you haven’t heard the whole thing. The entire story is that they’d be giving free burgers (Whoppers, to be specific) to women who’re impregnated by World Cup players.
Now, it’s not so okay, is it? The rough translation of the advert said something like the burgers were a reward for women with “the best football genes” and thereby ensured “the success of the Russian team for generations to come.”
Considering how insulting and insensitive this advert was, netizens were up in arms against the Russian Burger King.
1. It’s a deep well.
Wow just wow! I can’t even comprehend this depth of stupidity.
— lana (@alana_8080) June 21, 2018
2. This must be the most common reaction.
— Carly Norman (@carlymnorman) June 21, 2018
3. Does somebody have the audio for that discussion?
https://twitter.com/emily__wight/status/1009624772651704320
4. Sadly true.
Man, someone with a Marketing Degree got paid for this idea. Wild. https://t.co/orNhz8Mcj7
— Bret Spurgin (@RedDirtCyclone) June 21, 2018
5. Yes, the proof is right up there.
Wow. Someone really thought this campaign through. https://t.co/KVfYwZqEXJ
— Sudhir Srinivasan (@sudhirsrinivasn) June 21, 2018
The advertisement was soon pulled down from the site and the Russian wing of Burger King came out with an apology.
“we apologise for the statement we made. it turned out to be too insulting. we thank you for the feedback and hasten to inform you that we have already removed all materials related to the application.”
The main branch of Burger King also apologised for the misogynistic advert. In addition to that, they said that the offer didn’t reflect their brand value, and they promised that this kind of action won’t be repeated in the future.
It’s clear that those who’re in charge of selling their products have a very misogynistic outlook, especially when it’s related with football. Recently, a Mexican company was lambasted for planning to make women’s underwear that’d vibrate when a player scored a goal. And after this Russian fiasco, it’s evident that all marketing departments need an overhaul.