Burger King Holdings, Inc.

Burger King operates more than 11,600 restaurants in 73 countries and territories, raking in over 2.5 billion in revenues last year.  The Miami-based corporation has been challenging McDonald’s for the fast food throne ever since founders James McLamore and David Edgerton formed their franchise model after a visit to the original McDonald’s restaurant in 1954.[1]

Burger King’s approach to peddling unhealthy fast food has gained them unwelcome notoriety.  The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) sued Burger King last year for being the biggest restaurant chain to continue using dangerous artificial trans-fats.[2]  Disregarding the obesity trend in the U.S. and the advice of health professional to cut down on fatty calories, Burger King continues to promote ever-larger, ever-more-fat-laden menu items, such as their Meatnormous sandwiches and, of course, the Whopper.

Through media partnerships, Burger King has been able to gain expensive licensing deals that promote its products through blockbuster films and children’s cartoons.[3] Despite their promises to scale back advertising to children, Burger King has had recent promotions using popular children’s characters such as Spider-man, SpongeBob SquarePants, Fantastic Four, the Simpsons and the Transformers.  

Unless we hold them accountable, it is clear that this marketing juggernaut will continue to hook kids on their unhealthy products through their Hollywood-style approach.  However, chronic diet-related diseases are not the stuff of movies.  It’s time that we truly ‘have it our way’ – it’s time to Value [the] Meal!

1. Company Info, “BKC Facts, Domestic and Global Facts” Burger King Worldwide,  http://www.bk.com/companyinfo/corporation/facts.aspx (accessed February 20, 2009).

2. Press Release, “Court Rebuffs Burger King in Trans Fat Case” Center for Science in the Public Interest, (February 25, 2008), http://www.cspinet.org/new/200802252.html (accessed February 20, 2009).

3. David Tiltman, “Licensing: Will superhero alliances continue to pay dividends?” Promotions and Incentives, June 1, 2007, http://www.brandrepublic.com/pAndI/Analysis/661008/Licensing-Will-superhero-alliances-continue-pay-dividends/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH (accessed February 20, 2009).