Burger King

Burger King's 'Keep It Real Meals' NFT Campaign

In the past year, Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have gained widespread attention as a potentially life-changing investment. These one-of-a-kind digital tokens are now used in everything from the fashion industry to the art world. As a result, everybody from A-listers to high-end designers is buying NFT products at astronomical prices. So it was just a matter of time before popular fast food establishments began minting NFTs for collectors.

What are NFTs? Non-fungible tokens are digital assets that are blockchain-based and unique. Unlike other cryptocurrencies, NFTs are not interchangeable. This makes them ideal for digital art, collectibles, and other virtual items that can be bought, sold, or traded online. In addition, because NFTs are stored on the blockchain, they are secure and immutable. This means that they cannot be duplicated or counterfeit, and their owner can be confident that they will retain their value over time. With the growing popularity of NFTs, we will likely see more and more businesses offering them as a way to buy, sell, or trade goods and services in the future.

The 'Keep It Real Meals' Campaign

When Burger King announced its 'Keep It Real Meals' promotion, the fast food restaurant made it clear that it was committed to providing meals made with healthier, more natural ingredients. The company blacklisted harmful, non-essential components like sodium ethyl hydroxybenzoate and potassium hydrogen sulfite. This move demonstrates the company's concern for its consumers' well-being.

In addition to promoting natural ingredients, BK rewarded customers with several perks and rewards. However, NFTs stood out as the most exciting among the consumer benefits offered. To further the campaign's efforts, Burger King collaborated with non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace Sweet on a piece-completion game to elevate the technology from a digital art-based marketing gimmick to a medium for customer interaction. For Burger King, NFTs are a means of promoting healthier meals and its Royal Perks loyalty program.

How Burger King Integrated NFTs into the 'Keep It Real Meals' Campaign

The 'Keep It Real Meals' promotion was hugely successful, with celebrities endorsing the campaign and customers flocking to collect the game pieces. As part of the campaign, customers received collectible game pieces for other rewards. Each ‘Keep It Real Meal’ box had a QR code that, when scanned, gave customers access to one of three unique NFT game pieces for an interactive brand experience. After completing the set, users were automatically given a fourth NFT as a prize that could be anything from:

1. 3D Burger King digital collectibles

2. Whopper sandwiches for a year

3. Autographed Burger King merchandise

4. One phone call with one of the campaign's celebrities

What's next for Burger King in the digital world?

There's no doubt that Burger King feels confident about its place in the digital world. In March this year, the fast food giant submitted a trademark application for "BURKER KING," signaling its intention to join the metaverse. The business intends to provide NFTs, retail shop services showcasing virtual items, and the ability to dine at restaurants and cafés in the digital world. While it's still unclear what this means for enthusiasts, one thing is sure: Burger King is hyped to join the digital world.

Why big brands are adopting NFTs and what it means for collectors

The numerous applications of NFTs allow companies to expand their offerings beyond simple art drops and into more meaningful interactions with their target audiences. Burger King added an NFT set-completion game to its 'Keep It Real Meals' to engage its customers beyond a mere digital art-based marketing gimmick.

Unlike the plastic toy usually included with a meal kit, NFTs offer many use cases.

Brands are always looking for new ways to engage with their customers, and NFTs offer a unique opportunity to do just that. For example, a brand could use an NFT to represent a limited edition product, offer early access to new products or content, or even provide a behind-the-scenes look at how their products are made. And because NFTs can be easily tracked and authenticated, brands can be sure that only the people who are supposed to have access to their products or content actually do. As more and more brands begin to explore the possibilities of NFTs, we can only imagine the innovative ways they will find to use them.

Why haven't more brands joined the NFT craze?

Whether via loyalty networks, games, or consumer experiences, NFTs allow companies to take things to the next level.

However, it gets much better once NFTs achieve widespread acceptance. When the digital world breaks down those barriers and demystifies what it means to acquire and possess an NFT, it opens up far larger use cases.

These broader applications provide companies a huge chance to engage their customer groups and generate more income, similar to the gamified experience Burger King has launched. Building digital properties in the metaverse would also facilitate communication between brands and customers outside the dominant digital advertising platforms.

With NFTs, we've only just begun to scratch the surface of how companies can use the digital environment to give people more control.