MP1 Research Blog

 

 Burger King posted this advertisement on its company Facebook page early last month. The bright colored, up close, picture of a chicken nugget caught my attention immediately, but that's not all that caught my attention. In my Writing for Business online class we are taught that business related writing on social media platforms should be strictly limited in word length so that viewers will be able to easily process the information, and so that they will not become overwhelmed and skip over the post entirely.  However, I find something strange and unsettling about this chicken nugget picture posted for all the world to see with only the words "That Feeling" written above it. What feeling exactly does Burger King mean to imply? The feeling of watching some guy with closely trimmed fingernails pulling apart a piece of heavily processed, deep fried, chicken pieces?                  
    
By using language like "that feeling" with little other context, Burger King aims show us that we're all on the same page, that we both know exactly what "that" feeling is. They want us to know that they're just like us, that they enjoy the same things that we do. But as a society, is ripping into cheap (10 nuggets for a dollar and some change !!) processed chicken pieces something that we really want to start assuming that everyone is familiar with and enjoys? Or is that just what Burger King wants? For this reason, the marketing strategy used here feels shady to me, and it makes me uncomfortable.
    
In my experience, Burger King's food is not something that one buys because they are out seeking some extravagant oral sensation. People buy Burger King's food because it's cheap. And, in my opinion, advertising the food in any other way is dishonest. Therefore, I feel that Burger King's ads should focus on the true benefits that their products have to offer. The food is cheap, you can get it fast and it won't kill you immediately. By focusing on these true benefits, Burger King could potentially have the chance to earn the trust of the public, creating lasting opportunities for honest transactions based on mutual consent.