Burger King Readies Apple Fries Sampling, New Kids Meal Push

Amy Johannes

Promo

July 1, 2008
 

Burger King is preparing a multi-city sampling effort to promote its new BK Fresh Apple Fries product.

Brand ambassadors will hand out samples of Burger King’s Apple Fries, as well as cards redeemable for free, full-size product at local Burger King restaurants over the July 4th holiday weekend in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City and Houston. A similar effort will take place in Miami, FL, in August.

Staff members will target families at city parks through their involvement in more than 50 Little League games, said Dan Eisenberg, vice president of marketing of Legacy Marketing Partners, Burger King’s experiential marketing AOR, which is managing the sampling program. A branded Apple Fries scoreboard and professional announcer will appear at each game. Attendees can also sit in branded umbrellas and chairs to watch the games.

An estimated 60,000 samples and 60,000 product cards will be distributed in the five markets, Eisenberg said.

Burger King will also sample its Apple Fries—skinless red apples sliced to resemble French Fries—at the upcoming Jonas Brothers’ “Burning Up Tour.” A branded 53-foot trailer will travel around the country making stops at 41 cities. Concertgoers can obtain free samples at four different apple cart sampling areas.

More than 160,000 Apple Fries samples will be distributed at the Jonas Brothers’ concerts through early September, Eisenberg said.

Visitors can also have their photos taken at a green screen station set up inside each venue’s concourse area. Attendees will receive a photo card to retrieve their image online and send it to friends. They can choose from three photo backdrops: a pose with the Jonas Brothers, a poster that says, “On Tour with the Jonas Brothers” or a shot as a fry in an Apple Fries box.

A separate area lets fans design a poster with a personalized message for the band. In each market, the band will choose their favorite poster. The top images in each market will be pulled together in a collage and posted on http://www.BK.com at the end of the tour.

The concert sampling, which begins July 5 in Detroit, is part of Burger King’s co-sponsorship of the Jonas Brothers’ tour. Legacy Marketing Partners is also executing the
concert activation for Burger King.

Burger King hopes to gain some traction from the tour online. Starting July 7, visitors http://to www.BKJonasBrothers.com can view ticketing and venue information, and get behind-the-scenes sneak peeks. An online sweepstakes offers the chance to win meet-and greets and tickets for four to see the band through Aug. 3.

The BK Fresh Apple Fries are part of Burger King’s better-for-you menu targeting kids and parents. The menu item is included in the company’s new Kids Meal offering, which also features a caramel dipping sauce for the Apple Fries, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and Hershey’s 1% Low Fat White Milk.

The new Kids Meal was developed as part of Burger King’s health and nutrition initiative, “BK Positive Steps.” The permanent menu item sells for $3.49. Burger King was the 12th food marketer to join the Council of Better Business Bureau’s Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative on Sept. 12, 2007. The firm pledged to restrict 100% of national advertising targeting children under 12 to its Kids Meals meeting its new nutrition criteria by Dec. 31.

Burger King is supporting its new Kids Meal with in-restaurant merchandising and a series of television advertising spots. The first spot, which airs July 7, will mark the national debut of the “Little King” character, the young son of the famous Burger King Corp. brand icon. A second, animated spot, slated to air on July 21, shows an apple exploding into BK Fresh Apple Fries after running into a slicer, and a macaroni noodle transforming into Kraft Macaroni & Cheese after a collision with a block of cheese.

Wunderman is handling the merchandising and Website, CBB and Campbell Mithun are in charge of the TV spots and Edelman oversees PR.