Burger King seems to be in the mood for some creative ad campaigns. A 15-second spot featuring someone holding a ‘Whopper Sandwich’ while touting its fresh ingredients doesn’t seem too malicious, right until the end, when the person leans into the camera and says, “OK Google, what is a Whopper burger?”
That, of course, triggers many Android devices capable of listening to Google Assistant’s call, as well as the Google Home. If prompted, Google’s handy Assistant proceeds to read the description of Burger King’s Whopper burger off Wikipedia.
It wasn"t long after the ad showed up that the Wikipedia page became a target for an ‘editing war’ as people discovered the ad"s possibilities. Since then, the page has been restored to its pre-ad state and locked.
As for the advertisement; while Burger King may have thought that this idea was clever, it only took Google about three hours to stop its Assistant from responding to the advertisement. However, the query still works if asked by a real person, which Google likely achieved using the clip itself.
Burger King’s ad is still scheduled for prime-time spots on major networks starting from today, albeit in a defanged state. These networks include History, Spike, MTV, Bravo, E!, and Comedy Central. It’s also supposed to air during Adult Swim, The Tonight Show, and Jimmy Kimmel Live.
It’s fun to watch companies exploit modern gadgets to their advantage, but this one idea may have been a bit too annoying. Google’s somewhat quick reaction, however, was reassuring.
Source: The Verge