MIAMI – The “McWhopper” will have its Peace Day, after all. Several restaurants stepped in to collaborate with Burger King on a Peace Day Burger after Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald’s Corp. declined to participate in the collaboration with its fast-casual rival.
Denny’s, Wayback Burgers, Krystal, Giraffas USA and Burger King have created a burger that combines signature ingredients from each company’s burgers. The Peace Day Burger contains parts of Denny’s Bacon Slamburger, Wayback’s Wayback Classic, Krystal’s Cheese Krystal, Giraffas’ Brutus and Burger King’s Whopper sandwiches.
The Peace Day Burger will be sold free of charge at a pop-up restaurant in Atlanta. The burger will be available from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Burger King said 1,500 sandwiches were made, so first come, first served. Participating Burger King restaurants also will support the Peace Day campaign through direct monetary donations to the non-profit Peace One Day organization.
“We were overwhelmed by the goodwill of our fellow restaurateurs, and believe that working with them to create this once-in-a-lifetime burger is a beautiful twist of fate,” said Fernando Machado, senior vice president for global brand manager at Burger King. Machado added that awareness of Peace Day in the United States is five times higher among consumers who saw the campaign compared to those who didn’t.
United Nations member states adopted Peace Day, which is Sept. 21, as a day of cease-fire and non-violence. Peace One Day campaigned for Peace Day.
“Our short term goal is to expose three billion people to Peace Day by 2016,” said Jeremy Gilley, founder of Peace One Day. “It’s a big target but it’s very possible, particularly with the support of the corporate sector — they have the resources and ability to raise awareness on a massive scale. That awareness creates action, and that action saves lives.
And as for McDonald’s?
“… any activity they undertake, whether in partnership with Burger King or on their own, would be incredible, as it will raise further awareness for Peace Day,” Machado said. “And inadvertently, the McWhopper has 100 percent become a reality for some. The public wholeheartedly embraced the campaign and thousands of DIY McWhoppers have been created, reviewed, and shared on social media.”
