ADC Awards
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Category
Out of Home / Print / Electronic Billboard - Series
Annual ID
ADC_ADV21_099M
About the Work
In March 2020, when the rest of the world went into lockdown, a lot of Americans weren’t on board with this whole “restrictions” thing. Protests demanding reopening were gathering steam across the country. During those “unpredictable times,” Burger King didn’t want to go the predictable route.
Like many other brands, Burger King had something to say to Americans. But instead of appealing to the tropes of “we are in this together,” we appealed to American patriotism, by asking them to do the least they could for their country. Just stay home.
It all came together because we also had something other brands didn’t: a high-quality photo shoot ready to be used in the first week of April. These photographs from another (non-pandemic-related but already in-production) BK project turned out to be eerily accurate for what the world started to look like: people lazing on their couches. So we pivoted our message, changed the headlines and it rang even truer.
Within two weeks of lockdown being announced, this print ad was launched in the New York Times. It urged people to stand for their country by staying on their couch. In other words, we asked them to become a “Couch Potatriot.” The print was presented in a vertical format, showing a regular American saluting their country. But the headline prompted readers to turn it around and showed them lying on the couch instead. It called on Americans to do their part by staying at home and ordering delivery, while we did ours - by sending 250,000 Whoppers to nurses.
The campaign saw a 24% increase in orders via the BK app and was featured in leading publications like Forbes and on “Best of COVID Response” lists in leading trade publications. “Couch Potatriot” even got its own Urban Dictionary entry.
Like many other brands, Burger King had something to say to Americans. But instead of appealing to the tropes of “we are in this together,” we appealed to American patriotism, by asking them to do the least they could for their country. Just stay home.
It all came together because we also had something other brands didn’t: a high-quality photo shoot ready to be used in the first week of April. These photographs from another (non-pandemic-related but already in-production) BK project turned out to be eerily accurate for what the world started to look like: people lazing on their couches. So we pivoted our message, changed the headlines and it rang even truer.
Within two weeks of lockdown being announced, this print ad was launched in the New York Times. It urged people to stand for their country by staying on their couch. In other words, we asked them to become a “Couch Potatriot.” The print was presented in a vertical format, showing a regular American saluting their country. But the headline prompted readers to turn it around and showed them lying on the couch instead. It called on Americans to do their part by staying at home and ordering delivery, while we did ours - by sending 250,000 Whoppers to nurses.
The campaign saw a 24% increase in orders via the BK app and was featured in leading publications like Forbes and on “Best of COVID Response” lists in leading trade publications. “Couch Potatriot” even got its own Urban Dictionary entry.
2021 Awards
Total Points: 3
Merit Honor
Credits
Agency
FCB / New York
FCB Global / New York
PR / Marketing Agency
Alison Brod Marketing + Communications
Client / Brand
Burger King
Production Company
Independent Media
Music / Sound Production Company
JSM Music
Associate Creative Director
Alex Sprouse
Laszlo Szloboda
Chief Creative Officer
Fred Levron
Editor
Debbie McMurtrey
Executive Producer
Jason Mayo
Liam Ahern
Marcela Moracci
Photographer
Ale Burset
Producer
Tierney Farrell
Chief Creative Officer (Former)
Ari Halper
Co-Chief Creative Officer
Gabriel Schmitt
Michael Aimette
Director / Cinematographer
Janusz Kaminski
EVP, Chief Strategy Officer
Todd Sussman
Executive Producer / Managing Director
Susanne Preissler
Senior Art Director
Waner Almeida
Senior Copywriter
Chandani Karnik
VP / Executive Producer
Jeff Fiorello
Account Director
Sarah Tarner
Audio Engineer
Eric Thompson
Casting Director
Heidi Levitt
CEO / Co-Composer
Joel Simon
Co-Composer
Sean Hayden
Color
Technicolor
Color Producer
Casey Odell
Colorist
Sparkle
Director of Business Affairs
Janice Katz
EVP, Director of Integrated Production
Adam Isidore
Executive Sound Producer, Partner
Mary Tomasiewicz
Music Producer
Andrew Manning
Norm Felker
On-Screen Talent, Couch Potatriot 1
Savannah Jackson
On-Screen Talent, Couch Potatriot 2
Lorena Jorge
On-Screen Talent, Couch Potatriot 3
Demetri Belardinelli
On-Screen Talent, Hero
Peter Brockman
Photographer / Print
F16 Producciones
Record/Mix
honeymix
Senior Integrated Producer
Kate Fixter
Senior Project Manager, Operations
Jesse Morris
Senior Strategic Planner
Carmen Pinilla
SVP, Group Account Director
Megan Bundy
VFX Supervisor / Compositor
Brendan O'Neill
VFX/Finishing
Bonfire
Vice President, Lifestyle
Adrianna Lauricella
VO Talent
Rafael Ferrer
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