Currently, Korea is overflowing with global burger brands, to the point where it is referred to as the ‘battleground for Premium Burgers.' The ‘Gangnam’ area especially, can be considered the hottest battleground with three of the major U.S. burger brands, Shake Shack, Five Guys, and Super Duper all being located on a single street. To this degree, Korean consumers have a high interest in burgers and a significantly high curiosity about new brands.

Our goal was to introduce the new product not as a competitor to Burger King’s existing direct competitors like McDonald's or KFC, but as a product that could stand alongside premium burger brands. To achieve this, we launched the 'I AM NOT KING' campaign, which concealed the brand’s name ‘Burger King,’ and made it seem as though a new premium brand was being launched.

“Burger King Sets Its Crown Aside”

Instead of directly claiming "Burger King is the best burger brand," we wanted to hear that the brand was a “truly delicious premium burger brand” through the real voice of consumers. So, we boldly decided to set aside the crown. To do this, we hid Burger King’s identity and created an imaginary brand with the name “I AM NOT KING,” a name seemingly mocking Burger King.

To create the impression that it is an actual existing brand and to instill a sense of scale and anticipation for the new brand, an active social media channel was created, OOH displays were installed, and a fake store was opened in the ‘Gangnam’ and ‘Hongdae’ areas, the mecca of handmade burger brands.

Korean consumers acquire and share information about 'tasty restaurants' through social media. They have a curiosity for new brands or foods and enjoy trying them out. Burger King decided to leverage this tendency of Korean consumers to promote its new product.

Concealing all traces of Burger King, we staged the brand as a new brand, 'I AM NOT KING,' and promoted it on social media. We even temporarily opened an actual offline store, inviting customers to taste the product. To further enhance the surprise factor when consumers later discovered the identity of 'I AM NOT KING,' various clues were strategically hidden within the store, such as brand introductions hinting at Burger King on the menu, in the Wi-Fi password, and the underside of the serving dishes.

One month before the release of the new product, a social media account for 'I AM NOT KING' was created to announce the launch of the brand, attracting a total of 1800 followers. From these followers, approximately 140 consumers and famous influencers were invited to a tasting event at the offline store. A large-scale OOH campaign was also carried out in areas densely populated with premium burger brands.

On the day of the product launch, the social media account and all OOH displays with 'I AM NOT KING' were changed to show 'I AM BURGER KING.' A film was also released on Burger King’s official media channel and stores, revealing all the activities that were carried out.

Consumers were surprised to find out the real identity of ‘I AM NOT KING.’ And, they expressed extreme surprise via comments on social media and YouTube.

*Total Campaign Views 8,730,000 (* 181%↑vs. expectation)

*Campaign Video Views 6,790,000 (* 141%↑vs. expectation)

*Total Likes 240,000+ / Total Comments 5,000+

*Initial stock sold out, additional sales in progress after ingredient restock

*520,000+ burgers sold within 1 month of launch (* 198%↑vs. expected target)

*Additional sales +231% vs. Week 1 target, vs. +209% vs. Week 2

Based on the positive consumer response, the sales period of ‘Originals Pepper Jack’ was extended by three weeks. Even better, with the success of the first campaign, Burger King decided to continue the ‘Super Premium’ line and is preparing to launch a new product in 2024.