Brief:
- Burger King is giving users of social video app TikTok a chance to get discounts on food by posting videos of themselves doing special dance moves. The burger chain's #WhopperDance challenge is the first time people can order a Whopper sandwich through "dance ordering only," according to an announcement.
- To receive the $1 deal on a Whopper through the BK App, TikTok users need to create a music video of themselves doing a dance that includes moves representing Whopper sandwich combinations. TikTok users can find a tutorial on those moves on the personal pages of TikTok stars Loren Gray (44.5 million followers), Avani (21.1 million) and Nathan Davis Jr. (8.5 million).
- TikTok users also must follow the Burger King account on TikTok, use the special soundtrack provided in the tutorial videos and caption their videos with the #WhopperDance hashtag. Burger King will send participants a direct message that includes an offer code for the BK App. The $1 Whopper deal is available for delivery orders of at least $10 or for pickup from a nearby restaurant. The dance challenge began on June 18 and runs through June 21, while the offer code is valid for redemption until June 28.
Insight:
Burger King's #WhopperDance challenge on TikTok aims to engage users of the social video app with a campaign to tap into the viral dance challenges that are a key driver of engagement on the app. As Loren Gray demonstrates in a tutorial, the dance consists of wobbling to indicate an interest in a Whopper, putting their hands on their knees for cheese and shaking their bodies for bacon. The video suggests that TikTok users need to do all the dance moves, not just ones that specify their favorite version of a Whopper. As of press time, the #WhopperDance hashtag had received 3.6 million views, a metric that TikTok can track among specific users who may be receptive to future advertising from Burger King or its rivals.
By tying the dance challenge to an offer code sent by direct message, Burger King can identify which TikTok users are most likely to be loyal customers and measure the effectiveness of the campaign in driving orders to the BK App. Brands like Burger King are increasingly demanding that their advertising be more accountable and show clear business outcomes, such as increased store traffic, coupon redemptions, site visits, social media engagement or revenue. With the campaign, Burger King can grow its TikTok following, boost downloads of the BK App and track how many people redeemed the offer code — all useful information to help sharpen its social media strategy.
The campaign on TikTok is another sign that Burger King is shifting its marketing to more traditional messaging after the coronavirus pandemic disrupted operations, including the forced closure of its dining rooms. The lockdowns pushed Burger King to rely more heavily on drive-thru and mobile ordering for pickup or delivery. This week, the chain started a campaign to drive mobile orders and store traffic with the introduction of its plant-based Impossible Croissan-wich breakfast sandwich. The $1 offer for the sandwich wasn't available for delivery orders.
Burger King is one of the latest brands to create a campaign for TikTok, which this year set records with 315 million downloads worldwide in Q1, bringing its lifetime total to more than 2 billion, according to Sensor Tower estimates, as millions of homebound people turned to their smartphones for entertainment and social connections during pandemic lockdowns. In the U.S., TikTok's user base jumped 56% to 28.8 million from October 2019 to March 2020, according to Comscore data cited by eMarketer. That growth has led brands such as American Eagle Outfitters, Chipotle Mexican Grill, E.l.f. Cosmetics and Warner Bros. studios to create campaigns to reach TikTok's audience.
