There has been much written on the effectiveness of the Mac vs. PC campaign. Both critics and supporters alike have lauded the campaign for its effectiveness in highlighting the differences between the two products. It is entertaining, informative, and hip.
Enter Whopper Freakout. While I am not particularly a huge fan of fast food, this ad campaign did an incredible job of showcasing impassioned fans of the Burger King Whopper. Part reality show, part testimonial, this campaign does a great job of exhibiting real customers in a situation where their favorite burger is taken away from them.
In an interesting twist, the producer of the campaign has begun switching the Whopper with burgers from various competitors. This solicits even more passionate pleas. Some customers can be heard shouting things like “I hate Wendy’s!”. The agency who executed this campaign has even implemented a new media campaign by creating a microsite at whopperfreakout.com and have even posted extended versions of the hidden camera segments on YouTube.
It’s real, it’s raw, and it’s passionate. It also ties the viewer into an online community. That is the way that advertising was meant to be done. Kudos to Burger King.
Marketing Consultant, Social Media, Word of Mouth, Strategy, Digital, Search, Keynote Speaker 
I like the campaign too, but is there any data on the ROI of the advertising? They got a decent web hit, but what’s it translating into?
Alexa Data
Agreed. ROI is the best measure of a campaign. Absent that information, I am judging the campaign based on its ability to engage me, not just pepper me with meaningless creativity. Good points, though.
I think the “PC vs, Mac” was a classic. Time Warner Cable is doing something similar with using someone who looks like the Verizon guy going door-to-door with his mother. The mother won’t allow him to lie. It’s pretty good.