Burger King Just Fired the Burger King. It’s a Big Risk, and an Even Bigger Leadership Lesson

“This guy definitely wasn’t helping,”

EXPERT OPINION BY MINDA ZETLIN, AUTHOR OF 'CAREER SELF-CARE: FIND YOUR HAPPINESS, SUCCESS, AND FULFILLMENT AT WORK' @MINDAZETLIN

Illustration: Inc; Photo: Burger King

Burger King purchased quite a few expensive ad spots during the Oscars to deliver a surprising message to tens of millions of viewers: “We’re sorry.”

Airing a spot like this is a huge gamble for any company, large or small. But if done right, it can make an outsize impact in the market and revitalize a brand. I’m betting that will happen for Burger King. If I’m right, it’s a lesson for every leader in the power of cutting through the noise and getting people to give your product a try.

The chain’s U.S. and Canada president, Tom Curtis, narrates the spot with The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” playing in the background. He begins with a question: “What happened?” Burger King used to “be king,” he says. But then, “somehow, somewhere, fast food just fell off, us, included, and that’s not good.” And then, in a highly unusual move, the spot shows what appear to be real customers sitting in their cars making TikTok-style videos about how bad the chain’s burgers have gotten.

Curtis adds, “this guy definitely wasn’t helping any of it.” He’s referring to Burger King’s plastic-masked “King” mascot, which has a long history with the chain. Some people find it creepy. “We fired the King and crowned you,” Curtis says, over a shot of the mascot sitting dejectedly on a curb next to a cardboard box, having presumably cleaned out his desk.

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Curtis goes on to say that the chain is improving things one store at a time. The Whopper now tastes better, and comes in a box so that it’s never squished in the bag. “And we’re just getting started,” he adds.

It’s a bold move and a risky one. The chain just invited customers and former customers to check out its stores and its burgers. It promises they will find both are now better. With more than 6,500 Burger King locations in the U.S. alone, most of them franchises, that’s a daring promise to make.

If customers who’ve seen the ads return to Burger King looking for changes and find the same unsatisfactory experience they’ve had over the past couple of years, the campaign will backfire. The chain will lose customers for good. And it will take a reputational hit that might be tough to recover from.

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