Burger King ad finalist at World Retail Awards
Y&R Auckland’s Burger King ‘Toll This’ press ad is New Zealand’s only finalist in the World Retail Awards coming up in Barcelona. (It is also a finalist in the latest ‘Could be a Caxton’.)
Earlier this year Auckland’s new Northern Gateway motorway was due to open on the Auckland Anniversary holiday weekend with a $2 price tag for the pleasure of knocking 20 minutes off the journey north.
Burger King thought, ‘burger that’ and decided to pay the toll for holidaymakers by way of a 2 buck discount. The full-page ad ‘Toll this’ ran on the Friday and immediately caused a media storm.
The Minister for Transport department even rang up requesting a copy of the advertisement. By Saturday, the day when the new road opened, there was an announcement in the NZ Herald newspaper saying the Minister for Transport had backed down and decided to make Anniversary weekend toll-free.
Obviously, the Burger King strap-line of ‘Let Nothing Get in the Way’ had worked in a way Y&R had never imagined.
22 Comments
That’s great. What an achievement! Pray tell me, how many New Zealand agencies entered the World Retail awards. I expect the answer is just shy of two.
That’s not retail. Where’s the starburst? In the time it takes the average tourist to queue up to pay their toll, I’ve created a 678 point starburst in a spot PMS yellow that will rock the foundations of next years awards.
Come on guys, you’re better than this at giving us shit. More! Harder! Meaner!
Um, not sure if the World Something Awards are shit or not but then I feel the same about half the other awards I’ve never heard of that I learn about through this blog. The ad looked good in the paper though.
I saw this same idea done in Sydney in 2004 for Pepsi Max. It was ‘give sugar the flick’ and had a bunch of straws from a can of Pepsi shaped as if they were giving the bird.
Sorry. Been done.
think the idea here was to pay the toll for the punter, 11.50. The chips were an execution.
Benn there. Done that… Ad infinitum. Surely every other advertising annual has some ad or other based on this idea. Come again Y&R.
I imagine Y&R are the only agency to enter anything in the World Retail Awards.
Similar to their win at the Retail awards in Chicago.
8.09 – paying the toll for the punter is not an idea, that’s an offer.
A desperate ad and a desperate entry.
a good retail ad is better than a shit brand ad
Finalist in CBAC and World Retail Awards, runner up NAB Ad of the Month, um, AdMedia Ad of the Month. But yeah, not the best written entry in the world.
Keep that shit coming though kids. Throw it like you mean it.
1.49, a free packet of chips is an offer. Offering to help frustrated and cash-strapped commuters in your catchment by effectively paying their toll is actually an idea.
I think this ad is a bit base. But you know so are the fat west auckland lip draggers and the south auckland bums that eat this s_ _ _ t so it’s right on the mark as far as i am concerned. I also think Y&R is a bit base so it’s a good fit.
Dear 1.46
Fuck you. Hard.
Kindest,
West Auckland
Dear 5.49pm on Monday, right through to 4.21pm today
You think Y&R thinks this is some kind of major triumph? They are not jumping in the proverbial fucking aisles doing loop the loops because of a retail award, global or otherwise. It’s just an ad, that was quickly produced, on the back of a road opening, for a client who was greatly appreciative because it worked, which ran in the media once. Then the award people in question (whom no one has ever heard of) saw it somehow, selected it off their own bat and entered it for zip. It nearly won apparently. Thank Jesus’ Dad it didn’t. Now, back to your Facebook children. There’s a good thing.
Interesting debate.
I agree with 8:09 (who I assume is also 8:42) the thought is around using the opening of the toll road get some extra mileage (note the pun) out of the ad. It worked (allegedly) so deserves some recognition.
But those who say the execution is old are also right.
Having said that, the execution is a very fast way to communicate the idea in a retail space. So does that make it okay to pull the bird (again) with a different variety of food?
I don’t know. I’m thinking, yes. But its unlikely to win much anywhere else. What does anyone else think?
You have time to come here and defend your work anonymously? Aren’t they keeping you busy enough at Y&R?
David.
I agree with 1.46pm. The ad is actually right on the mark for the market. Well done.
Good Work R&Y
I’m sticking my neck out here, but this newspaper ad for Burger King by Y&R is better than any I’ve seen for McDonald’s by DDB.
regardless, being it’s bad written. See.
And me is thinking all positive coment is coming from Y&R.
Love
Guido