It may not have been the most visually compelling or eloquently written piece in the newly named Print & Publishing competition, but Burger King’s open letter to McDonald’s was bold enough to take Grand Prix Monday night.
Seeking a truce with rival chain McDonald’s in honour of International Day of Peace, Burger King ran a full-page letter in major U.S. newspapers suggesting the fast food giants join forces and create the “McWhopper.”
Proceeds from the endeavour would benefit Peace One Day, a nonprofit group campaigning to make Sept. 21 an annual day of global unity.
“When we first got here, my request to the jury was… in this great age of distraction, we look for a print ad that keeps me from sneaking a look at my phone every five minutes,” said Joji Jacob, jury president and group executive creative director at DDB Group in Singapore.
Though not as aesthetically pleasing as winners past, the beauty of the “McWhopper” ad was in proving the medium can be about more than pretty design. It can also be provocative, he said. “It was a very simple piece of print work but print work at its most powerful.”
This way of thinking is still very much in its infancy, but is “what we think is the future of print,” he said. While yesterday’s newspaper may be wrapped around today’s fish, it can start a conversation and hijack other media as evidenced by the Grand Prix winner.
Born in print, the “McWhopper” ad was a linchpin for a massive campaign that picked up steam on social media and “went on to live across multiple marketing platforms,” he said.
Formerly known as the Press Lions, the Print & Publishing competition was tweaked slightly this year to not only honour outstanding work on the printed page but also to recognize best uses of interactive press.
LG2 was the only Canadian agency to make the shortlist. It had five nominations — two for Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec’s “Road Safety” campaign and three for Studio, a clothing and apparel brand – but left the Monday night gala empty handed.
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