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Sophia Ankel
May 04, 2019
Remember that time when Kendall Jenner and Pepsi single-handedly ended police violence forever?
Well, now Burger King can apparently cure your depression with their latest "Real Meal" Whopper boxes, labelled in different moods and colours.
The fast-food chain attempted to throw shade at rival McDonald's and its "Happy Meals" for Mental Health Awareness Month by rolling out a new campaign called #FeelYourWay (a reference to its slogan "Have It Your Way").
Its promoted "Real Meal" boxes come in five different moods, including Salty in teal, Pissed in red, YAAAS in purple, DGAF (Don't Give a F***) in black and Sad in blue. Every mood box includes a Whopper, fries and a drink.
The company partnered up with the non-profit organisation Mental Health America to promote the "overall mental health of all Americans".
In a press release for #FeelYourWay, Burger King said:
With the pervasive nature of social media, there is so much pressure to appear happy and perfect.
With Real Meals, the Burger King brand celebrates being yourself and feeling however you want to feel.
Alongside the campaign, the company also released what looks like a bad music video, featuring several young people with different problems. There's a sad man complaining about his student loans, a teenage girl who is bullied at school, and a woman who was just fired from her "creepy boss". But don't fret, because even if you're a young single mom, all of your woes can be solved by simply going to Burger King.
The nearly two-minute video ends with the phrase:
No one is happy all the time, and that's OK.
it's ok to #feelyourway https://t.co/JiMDnzWCaI— Burger King (@Burger King) 1556731096
But Burger King's attempt to be "woke" quickly backfried, as people took to Twitter to criticise the company for using mental health as a means to make money.
The Burger King #feelyourway campaign is a gross attempt to use mental health to sell burgers. If your campaign fo… https://t.co/tnivrSUfWA— ella dawson (@ella dawson) 1556893751
Burger King using my depression to sell me food gives me depression. https://t.co/GvCEsZ7JcC— Dean Dobbs (@Dean Dobbs) 1556833585
Just punched a hole in my wall thinking about all the money I could have saved last year by just having Burger King… https://t.co/PEQR0gHJpy— Grace Spelman (@Grace Spelman) 1556836867
@BurgerKing This aint it chief.— Pornhub (@Pornhub) 1556823729
Others pointed out the irony of the campaign, considering fast food can also contribute to mental health issues.
@BurgerKing Nothing validates my feelings of self-loathing and general apathy more than eating nutritionally defic… https://t.co/eXVrJ2K67d— Bobby Fresh (@Bobby Fresh) 1556810458
Inflammatory foods like Burger King can make you depressed. "Eating junk food increases the risk of becoming depre… https://t.co/jjLvM0glT1— Jesse Z Mann (@Jesse Z Mann) 1556891108
@BurgerKing Burger King, I eat your food when i’m depressed and it makes me feel 1000% worse. You bring me closer t… https://t.co/TwHUiefcVN— Instagramsci (@Instagramsci) 1556811481
Other Twitter users asked the more important questions:
Dear @BurgerKing, good mental health depends on good nutrition. Are you offering any healthier food options or men… https://t.co/jIijr6ENVW— Leah McElrath 🏳️🌈 (@Leah McElrath 🏳️🌈) 1556819334
@BurgerKing Please include resources when you’re talking about mental health. People who are struggling may need someone to talk to.— Crisis Text Line (@Crisis Text Line) 1556820502
@BurgerKing Do you provide health plans for all of your employees that allow them to see mental health professional… https://t.co/grDaBDbpHT— Kyle 🌱 (@Kyle 🌱) 1556823655
Finally, things got a little bit awkward when previous and current employees of the fast-food chain attacked the company for not practising what they preach.
@BurgerKing This tweet has me feeling a type of way because when was an assistant manager at BK I was so overworked… https://t.co/q2LcUwQTWm— Claritza (@Claritza) 1556716917
@BurgerKing BK Employee: "Hey boss, I need an extra day off to go see my therapist." BK Manager: "Either you work… https://t.co/WSU1HLYmJm— DorkToast (@DorkToast) 1556819231
Maybe its best for the company to just stick to what they do best: make burgers.
@BurgerKing you're a hamburger restaurant— Rob DenBleyker (@Rob DenBleyker) 1556826780
HT Someecards
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