# Burger King’s cause-related marketing challenge to McDonald’s: a catalyst for “Relishionship fundraising”?

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2015/08/27/burger-kings-cause-related-marketing-challenge-to-mcdonalds-a-catalyst-for-relishionship-fundraising/
- Published: 2015-08-27T15:53:35+01:00
- Author: John Thompson

**Burger King’s offer to end its beef with McDonald’s and create a fundraising burger,
the McWhopper, has garnered global media coverage in the time it takes to flip a
pate. **
Taking out full-page ads in the New York Times and Chicago Tribune, Burger
King laid its fries on the table and goaded McDonald’s to collaborate on a joint
burger to get the world talking about Peace One Day whose objective is “to institutionalise
Peace Day 21 September, making it a day that is self-sustaining, an annual day of
global unity, a day of intercultural cooperation on a scale that humanity has never
known.”Burger King’s proposal, outlined in its open letter, is to take:“All the 
tastiest bits of your Big Mac and our Whopper, united in one delicious, peace-loving
burger. Developed together, cooked together and available in one location for one
day only – Peace Day – with all proceeds benefiting Peace One Day.”Testament to 
this being a slickly planned campaign (PR stunt?), Burger King sought and obtained
colossal social media engagement through launching www.mcwhopper.com and a Youtube
video starring Peace One Day founder and Russell Howard lookalike, Jeremy Gilley.

[This video is no longer available].
As the world’s carnivores salivated in anticipation,
McDonald’s Chief Executive, Steve Easterbrook, responded to the challenge via Facebook
with a carefully crafted riposte, intended to reacquire the moral high ground and
dampen Burger King’s flames. He said:

> “Dear Burger King,
> Inspiration for a good cause… great idea.We love the intention
> but think our two brands could do something bigger to make a difference. We commit
> to raise awareness worldwide, perhaps you’ll join us in a meaningful global effort?
> And every day, let’s acknowledge that between us there is simply a friendly business
> competition and certainly not the unequalled circumstances of the real pain and
> suffering of war.We’ll be in touch.-Steve, McDonald’s CEOP.S. A simple phone call
> will do next time.”
> 
> ## Advertisement
> 

That must have burnt Burger King’s marketers lips like an over-microwaved slice 
of apple pie.

As it stands, the prospect of a cause-marketing McWhopper has already reached a 
stalemate, despite fans of both fast-food chains egging on the “rivals” to do the
deal, believing it’s a flipping great idea.

However, setting aside whether or not a fat-laden chunk of sauce-drizzled meat is
the best way to raise awareness of the need for global peace, regardless of the 
obvious negatives regarding world hunger juxtaposed to the West’s growing obesity
crisis, something good could still come out of this. This new concept of “Relishionship
Fundraising” might stimulate other competing brands to consider joining forces to
raise awareness of, and funds for, a world problem.

![Relishionship fundraising - a burger with text overlay.](https://www.fundraising.
co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/relishionship-fundraising-burger.jpg)

Fundraising with relish

Indeed, I’m reminded of the ill-fated HelpAd strategy, dubbed “Brand Aid” at the
time, that the British Red Cross invested in during the mid-90s. Rather than competing
brands coming together to promote a cause, as in this case, the concept envisaged
complementary brands, like bread and butter, collaborating to raise funds. Brands
would donate advertising space to complementary products and the charity would benefit
from the proceeds based on the market value of such space.

Sadly, the concept quietly disappeared as not enough brands came on-board to make
the venture viable. But we’re twenty years on from that, brands are looking to promote
a sense of purpose and, I believe, consumers are more appreciative of such initiatives
with social media providing the platform for engagement that never existed in the
past.

So, whilst the McWhopper may have gone cold before ever reaching the drive-through
window (_and setting aside the unsavoury urban dictionary definition of a McWhopper
Junior – don’t Google it_!) I can see tins of CocaPeps and bars of Snick-Kats plying
for consumers’ hearts, minds and wallets hitting a shelf near you soon.
 Author:
John Thompson, director and consultant at [Changing Business](https://uk.linkedin.com/pub/john-thompson/0/898/a5)