“Dysfunctional Family”
Product: Whopper, whopper junior, value menu
Year: 2007-2008
Agency: Crispin Porter & Bogusky
I absolutely love the Whopper Jr. Ads. They’re creative, attention-getting, and most important, they are hilarious! Yeah they’re a little corny, but you’ve got to admit the person who came up with the idea of the whole “Whopper Family” commercial series was really thinking. The typical parent-teen arguments are what first caught my eye or should I say ear rather because usually I don’t watch commercials, I’m kind of in between doing stuff when they are on so if I hear something funny or strange I generally look up. Anyway, the line that caught my ear was “I wish I’d never been broiled!” The classic teenage temper tantrum turned into a burger commercial…genius. Another funny yet very creative moment was in the series was called “the talk” referring to the dreadful sex talk that both the parent and the teen hate. During this clip the dad hands the son a napkin insinuating a condom. I just thought this ad was perfect in getting the attention of teens and young adults because it was all based on classic real life experiences that they turned into kind of a mockery which in my eyes is even funnier. The one thing that stood out to me as puffery was the fact that they are human burgers! I mean if you’ve never seen a whopper or was slightly curious as to what it looks like, check it out, you can’t miss. Even though this ad is undeniably promoting the Whopper and “his son,” what it is really advertising is the BK dollar menu which is actually in competition with McDonald’s dollar menu which is also very popular.
The target audience for this ad would be of course teens as well as parents which are gives Burger King or Crispin Porter & Bogusky a huge playing field when buying space for the ad. Due to the wide range of the target audience between the ages of 13 to 40, the agency can place it during programs from “Law & Order” to “The Hills.” I believe I was watching “Family Guy” when I saw the first ad which most likely gave it viewers in their late teens, early twenties.
Unfortunately, I did not buy the whopper or jr. after viewing the commercial only because I have never liked burgers from Burger King, but I did buy the Spicy Chicken-Crisp…it’s was pretty good…and it was only a dollar.
Rift Fournier
First of all, let me just say that I absolutely adored Professor Rift Fournier. He is hilarious. He was also very inspiring. I like the fact that he has had like a million jobs throughout his lifetime and he is still going forward spreading knowledge that he has gained over the years to his students. Listening to him I began to think of him as a veteran. Not of war, but of the media. He spent his life doing different things all across the nation “serving his time” with newspapers, sitcoms, t.v. dramas, magazines, etc. Now he is in a wheelchair and even though it is not from being wounded in a war you can still see why I picture him as a vet. Dr. Fournier is like a live storybook because he seems as if he has a story for absolutely everything. I think that he is a great person as well as a great professor because he’s real and he gives it to us raw(figuratively). He’s not scared to say exactly what’s on his mind and that is very critical nowadays due to the fact that everyone including your parents sugar-coat the truth to “protect your feelings.” It’s good to know someone that cares so much that he will bare the ugly truth to you right before your eyes. Rift Fournier…a hell of a guy.
