BK's 'Whopper Detour' Campaign Takes The U.S. Grand Effie

Burger King’s “Whopper Detour” won the Grand Effie at the virtual Ideas That Work: 2020 Effie US Summit & Awards Gala yesterday.

The campaign, created by FCB/New York and FCB/RED, won the top prize for marketing effectiveness for an effort that relied on geofencing to redirect customers to McDonald’s to get a Whopper for one cent using the chain’s redesigned mobile app.

When drivers approached McDonald’s locations, they received a mobile notification with the one-cent Whopper promotion. When they placed the order, the app then directed them away from McDonald’s towards the nearest Burger King. The effort led to Burger King hitting #1 in the iOS/Android app stores, generating $15 million incremental value and an 37:1 ROI.  Alison Brod Marketing & Communications, MullenLowe U.S., O Positive, and Mackcut contributed to the work.

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Burger King’s “Whopper Detour” becomes the first Grand Effie winner from the Commerce & Shopper category, a competition that recognizes the most effective integrated campaigns designed to engage shoppers and guide the purchase process. “Whopper Detour” also won Effies in the Marketing Innovation Solutions, E-Commerce and Omni-Channel Shopper Solution categories.

The Grand Effie was chosen from the nine highest-scoring Gold Effie Award winners, including “DNA Discounts,” by Aeromexico, Ogilvy Mexico and Ogilvy Colombia; “New Coke-Stranger Things,” by The Coca-Cola Company/Coca-Cola and Wieden+Kennedy; “Scent By Glade,” by SC Johnson/Glade and Ogilvy; “Lysol Laundry,” by Reckitt Benckiser/Lysol and McCann New York; “Changing the Game,” by Microsoft and McCann New York; “Back-to-School Essentials,” by Sandy Hook Promise and BBDO New York; “Gracie,” by Street Grace & BBDO Atlanta; and “Stop Traffick,” by Street Grace and BBDO Atlanta.“

Grand Jury co-chair Raja Rajamannar, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at Mastercard, stated: “The decision was very clear. This campaign stood out at many levels. It literally checked off every single box that we were looking for, which forms the criteria for evaluating the best campaign. The idea was great. The execution was great. And the results were terrific.”

Effie Worldwide also announced the results of the 2020 US Effie rankings, which reflect the total points from finalist and winning entries from the awards competition. 

Burger King ranked as the Most Effective Marketer, followed by second-ranked Street Grace and third-ranked Mars Inc. 

Burger King and Street Grace also ranked number one and two respectively as Most Effective Brands. Rounding out the top-3 was Microsoft. 

Interpublic was named Most Effective Holding Company. Omnicom  and WPP ranked second and third respectively. 

McCann Worldgroup is this year’s Most Effective Agency Network, followed by second-ranked BBDO Worldwide and third-ranked MullenLowe Group. 

Wieden+Kennedy ranked as the Most Effective Independent Agency followed by Alison Brod Marketing & Communications and, in a tie for third, Mackcut and O Positive. 

The Most Effective Agency Office was McCann New York. MullenLowe’s Boston office placed second and BBDO New York third. 

To view the full list of 2020 Effie US winners and more, click here.

 

 

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