2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Background

Anything, anywhere at anytime can be delivered to anyone in UAE. From gasoline to PCR tests, everything is one delivery app away. That’s not different with the on-demand food category, with the UAE being the second-largest market for online food delivery in GCC. Yet most restaurants remain reliant on food delivery aggregator apps such as Deliveroo and Talabat, keeping their focus on the brick-and-mortar experience. Then came Covid19 and its lockdowns forcing brands to dedicate even attention to online. And the brief became clear: stand out in the online channel with Burger King’s own delivery app. However, we were faced with another major barrier: Pay cuts affected nearly 8 out of 10 companies in the UAE forcing people to get by with less while everything else remained at full price. So, how could the Burger King app stand out during one of the toughest times for the UAE?

The Interpretation of the Challenge (30% of vote)

Anything, anywhere at anytime can be delivered to anyone in UAE. From gasoline to PCR tests, everything is one delivery app away. That’s not different with the on-demand food category, with the UAE being the second-largest market for online food delivery in GCC. Yet most restaurants remain reliant on food delivery aggregator apps such as Deliveroo and Talabat, keeping their focus on the brick-and-mortar experience. Then came Covid19 and its lockdowns forcing brands to dedicate even attention to online. And the brief became clear: stand out in the online channel with Burger King’s own delivery app. However, we were faced with another major barrier: Pay cuts affected nearly 8 out of 10 companies in the UAE forcing people to get by with less while everything else remained at full price. So, how could the Burger King app stand out during one of the toughest times for the UAE?

The Insight / Breakthrough Thinking (30% of vote)

Retail and customer research showed a clear trend for 2020: a shift from brick-and-mortar retail and F&B to online channels. But we knew such insights only scratched the surface and our quest became to identify meaningful ways for Burger King to differentiate itself in such a crowded (and virtually only) market. We noticed that most brands competed online on the basis of their product and price. We changed the game. Our competitive edge for Burger King became a new brand purpose. Where brands go to offer products, we decided that BK would go to listen to its customers. We created a trust filter in the app that allowed consumers to avail discounts equivalent to pay cuts suffered due to the pandemic. We turned the Burger King app into a prove of empathy – of Burger King empathy – when people needed it the most. We humanized a transactional moment.

The Creative Idea (20% of vote)

Pay Cut Whopper. Pay less when you need it most. At the heart of this idea was the shared sentiment that 2020 was turning out to be a pretty unfair year. So we decided to make things a little bit fair by offering discounts matching people’s pay cut. We took a human and relatable approach in times of little hope. We modified the classic app user experience by adding discount settings that anyone could customize. It was a simple trust filter that empowered consumers.

The Outcome / Results (20% of vote)

Reached and engaged + 22 million people. Achieved +250k downloads Unlocked +30% sales increase vs. 2019. Achieved +70% redemption rate. Moved up to #3 & #4 in the rankings of the Play Store and App stores (from #28 & #68, respectively).

Please tell us about the challenger brand and how your campaign challenged / was different from your competitors

Retail and customer research showed a clear trend for 2020: a shift from brick and mortar retail and F&B to online channels. But we knew such insights only scratched the surface and our quest became to identify meaningful ways for Burger King to differentiate itself in such a crowded (and virtually only) market. We noticed that most brands competed online on the basis of their product and price. We changed the game. Our competitive edge for Burger King became a new brand purpose. Where brands go to offer products, we decided that BK would go to listen to its customers. We created a trust filter in the app that allowed consumers to avail discounts equivalent to pay cuts suffered due to the pandemic. We turned the Burger King app into a prove of empathy- of Burger King empathy – when people needed it the most. We humanized a transactional moment.