Burger King mascot and Ronald McDonald share a passionate kiss in beautiful, unprecedented Pride campaign
The Burger King mascot and Ronald McDonald kiss in a new Pride campaign. (Burger King Finland)
A new Burger King Pride campaign shows its mascot in a passionate embrace with Ronald McDonald, with the simple message “love conquers all”.
The Burger King mascot and Ronald McDonald kiss in in the unprecedented advertisements, installed by Burger King around Helsinki to mark the city’s 2020 Pride week.
The mascots put aside their decades-long rivalry for the poster, the shape of their heads forming a love heart.
“Burger King has always stood for equality, love, and everyone’s right to be just the way they are,” Burger King Finland’s brand manager Kaisa Kasila said in a statement.
Proud to see Burger King Finland as the official partner of The Helsinki Pride. Even more proud of our 100% Corporate Equality Index. Congrats to Kaisa from the BK Finland team for such a beautiful execution. @HRC #helsinkipride2020 #helsinkipride #loveconquersall pic.twitter.com/lmQD4Waepz
— Fer Machado (@fer_machado123) September 10, 2020
“We thought, what a better way to convey our values than by portraying an all-encompassing kiss between Burger King and McDonald.
“We wanted to show that in the end, love always wins. And we know McDonald’s stands for the values we stand for, too.”
Helsinki Pride is taking place without the usual parade this year due to coronavirus.
It is being celebrated on- and offline from September 7 to 13, having been delayed by the pandemic.
The Burger King campaign has been plastered around the city, and is also featured in print advertising and on the fast food giant’s restaurants and other channels.
It comes after the chain’s Mexican operation renamed itself Burger Queer during Pride Month, emblazoning the new name on social media, on burger boxes, and on rainbow-coloured crowns that were handed out in its restaurants.
McDonald’s has also taken tentative steps in making its advertising more LGBT-inclusive in recent years.
A 2010 spot which aired in France showed a closeted gay man and his father dining at the Golden Arches, with a 2016 Thai advert taking it a step further by showing a young man come out to his father over a McDonald’s coffee.
Though these are undoubtedly baby steps, it’s a long way from 1977, when the corporation fired Ronald McDonald actor Bob Brandon after he came out as gay.
