McDonald’s is leaving out its special sauce, but five other restaurant chains will link brands Monday in a one-day effort to promote peace.
Sept. 21 is Peace Day, an event promoted by the Peace One Day coalition as a day of ceasefire and nonviolence around the world. To honor the event, Burger King earlier this month reached out to McDonald’s with the proposal of opening a pop-up restaurant that would serve a “McWhopper,” a blend of the signature burgers from each brand, in a burger war ceasefire.
Well played @burgerking, well played. #mcwhopper #peaceday #thepowerofadvertising @ McDonald's https://t.co/35xV7tKHQy
— Joe Ridler (@joeridler) September 17, 2015
McDonald’s, it appears, has passed on the opportunity. But four other restaurant chains wanted in.
Joining flavors with Burger King’s Whopper in the Peace Day Burger, to be offered on Monday, will include parts of sandwiches from Denny’s Bacon Slamburger; Wayback Burgers' Wayback Classic; Krystal’s Cheese Krystal; and the Brutus burger from Giraffas Brazilian Grill.
The Atlanta pop up will serve 1,500 of the sandwiches for free, as long as supplies last, between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. All of the participating brands will also make a monetary donation to Peace One Day, Burger King said.
“We were overwhelmed by the goodwill of our fellow restaurateurs, and believe that working with them to create this once-in-a-lifetime burger is a beautiful twist of fate,” Fernando Machado, Burger King Corp. senior vice president for global brand management, said in a statement.
The goal for Burger King was to raise awareness for Peace Day, and Machado said it worked. The company estimated that awareness of the event in the U.S. is almost five times higher among those who saw the campaign.
It also spawned an Internet frenzy of do-it-yourself McWhopper attempts, made by customers who promoted their own creations on social media.
Retweeted MerlinRPM (@MerlinRPM): Behold..... The #McWhopper pic.twitter.com/KYOZAZrhSX http://t.co/l36PlZ3mWq
— Otiz P Jivefunk (@OtizJ) September 17, 2015
Whether McDonald’s plans to participate in Peace Day remains to be seen. The company did not respond to requests for comment at press time.
“As far as McDonald’s goes, any activity they undertake, whether in partnership with Burger King or on their own, would be incredible, as it will raise further awareness for Peace Day,” Machado said.
Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected].
Follow her on Twitter: @livetodineout
