The content is the same, but the packaging’s all-new: for a very limited time, Burger King is offering a Gay Pride Whopper, in conjunction with San Francisco’s Pride Week.
According to the company, the hamburger is a traditional Whopper, not altered in any way. But the wrapper the food comes in is a sheet of rainbow paper bearing the slogan “We Are All The Same Inside.”
In addition, the company has altered its slogan on the paper. Formerly “Have it your way,” the slogan now reads “Be your way.”
Fernando Machado, Burger King’s senior vice president for global marketing, said in a statement, “[The Gay Whopper] showcases who we are as a brand. It shows how we, as a brand, believe in self-expression.”
The Gay Whopper is available at Burger King’s 1200 Market Street store in San Francisco, through the end of the day on July 3rd. The location is near the heart of the city’s gay pride parade, which took place last week.
Burger King was a major sponsor of the parade: it sold “Proud Whoppers” last weekend, and donated 50,000 of its famous crowns to parade participants and passers-by.
The price of the burger is unchanged, as well: the Gay Whopper costs $4.29, or exactly the same as a Straight Whopper. All proceeds from the sale of the Gay burgers will go to the Burger King McLamore Foundation, which funds college scholarships for LGBT seniors graduating in the spring of 2015.
Machado also said the company has not ruled out “something even bigger later on” with regards to the Gay Whopper promotion.
What do you think? Is this a good idea? A silly one? Both? Political correctness run amok? Or something else, something more nuanced? Share your thoughts with a comment below.
