Burger King Finds Comedy in These 'Even More Confusing Times'

A year later, folks are more confused than ever about Burger King’s meatless menu offerings—and just about everything else, apparently.

This week, the fast feeder and David Madrid dropped “Even More Confusing Times,” a sequel to their popular 2021 film about cultural quandaries in the age of Covid. That spot, directed by Juan Cabral, promoted the plant-based Whopper.

Dripping with sly satire and wry observation, the follow-up from Blur directors Victor Aguilar and Egoitz Audikana (aka Biceps) shifts the focus. Pandemic concerns take a backseat and broader points of perplexity rise to the fore.

We meet a range of people struggling with baby names (is “Max” better suited to a kid or a dog?), text-message etiquette (to delete of not to delete?) and eco/health concerns (if tap water’s unsafe, and plastic bottles kill the planet, how can you hydrate?).

Likewise, BK “chicken” nuggets and patties made without chicken are head-scratchers for the befuddled bunch below:

“This is such a fun platform, so relevant to the brand, the product and the plant-based category, that we wanted to keep exploring it more and more,” says David ECD André Toledo. “We wanted to keep the same tone and mood as the previous year. This time, however, we chose three relevant topics: environment, relationships and parenting. We had more than 100 situations at the beginning, and after some months we finally selected the best ones.”

The approach still feels fresh and funny. The sarcasm unwinds at a leisurely pace. And some shots—the woman slumped on her kitchen floor, the somber dude perched atop a washing machine—are impressively composed and amusingly angsty. Edward Robinson once again provides narration, and his gruff, lightly-mocking tone seals the deal.

“Plant-based products are become mainstream and we want to be a frontrunner in this segment,” says adds BK head of brand marketing Iwo Zakowski. “We believe the products are so confusingly close to the real thing that we hope everyone who comes to a QSR will try the products.”

BK should fly a chicken drone. That’d really give people fits!

“Even More Confusing Times” launches in Spain and Portugal, with puzzling print and radio in the mix, too:

CREDITS

AGENCY: DAVID MADRID  
Campaign: Even More Confusing Times
Client: Burger King
Global CCO: Pancho Cassis  
Global COO: Sylvia Panico  
Global PR Director: Sandra Azedo
Executive Creative Director: Saulo Rocha, André Toledo
Creative Director: Fred Bosch, Sébastien Rouvière
Associate Creative Director: Pedro Sattin, Ana Martin
Copywriter: Sébastien Rouvière, David Krueger
Art Director: Pedro Sattin
Head of Production: Alejandro Falduti
Head of Account: María García Herranz
Group Account Director: Lucila Mengide
Account Supervisor: Irene León
Account Executive: Sebastian Gancarz
Strategy Director: Patricia Urgoiti
Senior Strategist: Marc Escrig

CLIENT: BURGER KING
RBI Chief Brand Officer: Antonio Brandao
VP, Head of Burger King Marketing: Sabrina Ferretti
Head of Global Brand Marketing Burger King: Iwo Zakowski
Global Director of Communications Burger King: Andrea Beer
Chief Marketing Office Burger King Spain: Paco Recuero
Marketing & PR Burger King Spain: Borja Moya

FILM PRODUCTION: BLUR 
Director: Biceps 
Executive Producer: Mario Forniés y Sete de Ledo 
Producer: Aldo Guenter 
1st AD: Luis Fernando Machi 
2st AD: Adrian Galdeano 
Production Manager: Miguel Aguirre 
Production Assistant: Andrea Golo 
Production Coordinator: Celia Prieto 
Location Manager: Daniel Escribano 
DOP: Octavio Arias 
Camera Assistant: Polo Villaseñor 
Art Director: Ilduara Lamas 
Art Assistant: Carlota Wilmshirst 
Stylist: Ahida Aguirre 
Hair and Makeup: Sara Herraiz 
Home Economist: Óscar Sanz Cabrera 
Casting Director: Patricia Gayo 
Editor: Rocío Pérez 
Colourist: Marc Morato 
Post-production: Daniel Sanchez-Herrera 
Post-production Manager: Marisa Mesonero 

PHOTO STUDIO: WEARESICARIOS
Photographer: Nixon Freire
Executive Producer: Joao Luz
Assistants: Kao e Renan Moraes
Operations: Lindin Lima
Retouch: Ricardo Moreira

MUSIC COMPANY AND PUBLISHER: PICKLE MUSIC  
Music Director: Sebastián Merlín, Alexis Estiz
Composer: Pablo Díez, Sebastián Merlín, Alexis Estiz
Sound Design & Mix: Pickle Music
Executive Producer: Olivia López
Performer: Edward Robinson, Miguel Ángel Jenner, Nuno Barbosa