BURGER KING | CONFUSING TIMES | 2020
Confusion Itself Was the Product / BURGER KING "CONFUSING TIMES"
2020 was a year when everyone felt confused. Burger King made a radio ad that put that exact feeling of confusion into words—things like catching a sneeze with your elbow, then high-fiving with that same elbow. And the twist is, it was actually an ad for the Impossible Whopper, which tastes like meat but isn't meat. Presenting confusion as confusion, honestly, turned out to be the most honest approach of all.
The problem
It started in March 2020 as a radio spot capturing how people felt in the middle of the pandemic. The goal wasn't health or sustainability—it was simply to connect with how people were feeling right then.
The insight
In confusing times, a confusing product fits right in. Here's a burger chain selling a Whopper made without meat. That contradiction lined up perfectly with the mood of the moment.
The idea
The 90-second radio ad opens with melancholy piano and narration by Edward Robinson: "Terrence knows you're not supposed to shake hands. But elbow bumps are fine. He also knows you're supposed to catch your sneeze with your elbow. Now Terrence is confused." It's structured so you don't realize it's a Burger King ad until more than a minute in. It was later turned into a video directed by Juan Cabral, showing a man in a headset and boxers, unsure whether he's working from home or living at the office, opening his fridge—before finally landing on the point: a Whopper made without meat that tastes like meat.
What happened
The campaign won a Gold Pencil at The One Show in 2021 and a Gold Clio in 2022. It became a series, with "Even More Confusing Times" (2022) and "A Little More Confusing" (2023) following. It was also recognized at Cannes Lions—though in consumer surveys, 42% said they didn't understand the core message.
Afterthought
Just having an ad say "yeah, this is confusing" was comforting that year. And since the product itself—meat that isn't meat but tastes like meat—is its own little bundle of confusion, nothing about it feels contradictory. It starts like a public service announcement, and a minute later you're thinking, "wait, this was a burger ad?" I love that moment of surprise. It's an ad that could only have worked in a year like 2020.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 2020
