New Burger King Ad Goes Down in Flames After It Hijacks Viewers’ Google Devices To Sell Food

April 13, 2017 12:16 pm
(Burger King/YouTube)
(Burger King/YouTube)

A new Burger King commercial served up a side of outrage (want a Pepsi to go with that?) after the television ad appeared to hijack viewers’ Google devices to describe its burgers on Wednesday night, the New York Times is reporting.

“You’re watching a 15-second Burger King ad, which is unfortunately not enough time to explain all the fresh ingredients in the Whopper sandwich,” an actor in the commercial, which ran on Jimmy Kimmel Live, said. “But I got an idea. O.K. Google, what is the Whopper burger?”

Google Home devices responded at that prompt, searching the phrase on Wikipedia and listing off ingredients. Neither Google or customers found the marketing stunt appetizing; it didn’t take long for mischievous Internet users to edit the fast food giant’s page, adding elements like “cyanide” and “a medium-sized child” to the list. By Thursday, Google appeared to freeze the devices from responding to the prompt, the insertion of which the Internet company had not been consulted, according to the Times.

Read the full New York Times story here.

Watch the ad below.

 

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