In 2015, Burger King tricked McDonald's with the greatest PR stunt in food history.
Burger King proposed a one-time collab for World Peace Day...
But when 9 billion people saw McDonald's response, it nearly destroyed their brand forever.
This was Burger King's unbeatable trap:
McDonald's has dominated the fast food market for decades.
Burger King, founded in 1954, has always been their little brother—with only half as many restaurants and 1/5th of McDonald's ad budget...
So in August 2015, they hatched a plan:
Burger King ran full-page newspaper ads.
Their offer? A McDonald's hybrid burger—to unite for World Peace Day.
They launched http://mcwhopper.com so McDonald's could see mockups of packaging and designs...
But the real genius wasn't in the burger itself:
All profits from sales would go to charity.
They chose the Peace One Day charity—which aims to create a more inclusive and sustainable world.
The message was sent.
And McDonald's reply came through Facebook...
"Dear Burger King, great idea. We think our brands could do something bigger."
Followed by:
"P.S. A simple phone call will do next time."
But McDonald's reply was social suicide:
The public labelled them corporate and tone-deaf.
"They look like the no-fun parent." "Who turns down world peace?"
But Burger King planned for this EXACT outcome.
And it was about to pay off...
The proposal was genius.
If McDonald's said yes: Burger King shares spotlight with a bigger rival.
If McDonald's said no: Burger King looks cool and socially conscious.
It was the perfect trap—a guaranteed win.
But the real genius was forcing a public response:
A private message from Burger King could be ignored.
But a newspaper ad? The public were in on it too—the pressure was on McDonald's to reply.
This key detail made Burger King's plan a guaranteed success.
And after McDonald's declined, the story grew bigger:
Denny's, Wayback, Krystal, and Giraffas (all major fast-food brands) offered to partner with Burger King instead.
The public kept the story alive for weeks.
And the business impact?
Staggering...
Without making a single meal, Burger King had:
• 8.9 billion media impressions
• $88 return for every $1 spent
• 40% boost in Peace Day awareness
The best part?
Burger King spent nearly a year planning this takedown:
They prepared for both outcomes.
Their marketing head admitted: "We hedged our bets."
And the goal wasn't the burger—it was capturing attention.
The industry quickly took notice:
The campaign won multiple Cannes Lions awards—advertising's highest honor.
One judge called it "one of the greatest PR efforts in history."
It sparked a marketing renaissance at Burger King.
But this lesson applies far beyond fast food:
The campaign wasn't about burgers or peace.
It was about treating attention as currency.
Burger King showed how smaller players can capture global attention—the same opportunity still exists for any business.
And today's digital economy makes it easier than ever:
In 2025, all successful founders can leverage attention via social media.
How?
• Share valuable content
• Resonate with your audience
• Build a loyal following that spreads your message
And as a result:
Sales. Marketing. Investment. Finding talent...
All become 10x easier when you showcase your brand to millions online.
The best part? You can start today:
Founders: We’ll build your personal/company brand on 𝕏 (and beyond) without you lifting a finger.
To date, we've already helped 140+ founders get 3+ Billion combined views.
Interested in how we can do this for you? Book your free discovery call here: http://form.typeform.com/to/JWuXNkxQ?utm_source=tpxpostf
Thanks for reading! A bit about me:
2 years ago, I cofounded @ThoughtleadrX — a premium personal branding agency for world-class founders, executives, and investors to dominate socials.
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Video Credits:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8NdvQCnS54
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXO8Fv6nji0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrilOCwlT7U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K87pEO0rMc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbrHog__pRY
https://youtu.be/RVqFnkDqEsA?si=rQMkISUasAqHa_dW
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbrHog__pRY
