Burger King’s new online ad for a Vietnamese dish has proven an unsavory serving, with Twitter users relishing the opportunity to roast the brand for its cultural insensitivity.
The New Zealand branch of the fast food chain posted an ad on Instagram which was spotted by one less-than-impressed local. Maria Mo shared a clip of the promo on Twitter which quickly went viral, garnering over 360,000 views in two days.
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In the sponsored ad, several people struggle to eat a burger using giant chopsticks. Rather than use the pair single-handedly as chopsticks are intended, though, some hold one in each hand and try to lift the burger towards their waiting mouths.
The ad was launched to promote a new Vietnamese Sweet Chili dish on their menu, but seemed to serve up only disgust on Twitter, with social media users accusing the brand of racism by treating chopsticks like foolish primitive instruments. Some simply shared GIFs to show their astonishment at the ad.
It’s far from the first such social media outrage over the offensive portrayal of Asians or Asian culture in Western advertising. Late last year, Italian luxury fashion brand Dolce and Gabbana apologized after one of their ads depicting a Chinese woman being taught how to eat pizza and spaghetti with chopsticks generated a huge outpouring of anger on Chinese social media sites.
The outcry saw Chinese retailers drop the brand and forced the label to postpone their Shanghai fashion show.
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