Burger King sought to make a statement during their 30 second Super Bowl spot. Cutting through the huge-budget, almost cinematic ads that have been seen in the past for Coca Cola, Budweiser and Apple, the fast food chain showed a small clip from an experimental film from 1982, which featured pop art icon Andy Warhol unwrapping and eating a Burger King Burger.
“Beyond the simplicity of the spot, it has a deeper meaning,” a spokesperson for Burger King explained. “It is also a testament to one of Warhol’s most iconic quotes about the greatness of the United States: ‘What's great about this country is that America started the tradition where the richest consumers buy essentially the same things as the poorest.’”
The ad was one of the most talked-about spots during the broadcast, but user insights platform Alpha has analysed the data to see how much of an impact the broadcast really had.
As it happens, of the 400 people surveyed, 65 percent of them had no idea who Andy Warhol was. Recognition was highest in the 18-24 age bracket, which shows the enduring impact of Warhol’s art – he died in 1987, eight years before anyone in that age bracket was born.
Of those who rated their response to the ad as ‘extremely positive,’ their feedback was almost doting on the pop artist.
“I love Andy Warhol and his art collections and he was eating Burger King,” said one respondent. “I love Whoppers. It made me extremely happy to see him enjoying a Burger King burger as much I do.”
However, those who didn’t like the ad made their feelings known.
“This ad is extremely dated. Warhol hasn't been relevant for a very long time. It does a poor job of creating brand loyalty and if anything, it’s negative. They add ketchup to the burger? Isn't it good enough to eat on its own? Most millennials will not know who Warhol is. Fail.”
