An ultra-realistic burger munching experience can be extremely tempting. Burger King and its agency J Walter Thompson KSA have put this to work in the fast food’s latest ad to hit the screens in Dubai and Saudi Arabia. The agency has taken advantage of the fact that most theatre screens in KSA and Dubai are fitted with the latest technology, and has leveraged this to create an immersive in-cinema experience, using sound as the key tool.
Burger King launched Crunchy Chicken Fillet through an autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) rendition of Burger King’s new product, made even more personal for cinema goers by the incorporation of the theatre’s iMax screen and brand new 7.1 Dolby Surround Sound.
The 45-second cinema spot, with sound design by Elie Akl, highlighted the sensation of biting into the extreme crunchiness of the crunchy fillet. It was released in eight Vox cinemas across both markets, installed with the new technology and capable of fully delivering on the concept.
In the film, an actor is seen drawing a tray with the meal towards him, separating out the crispy French fries and soft drink, swirling his drink and sipping it, before carefully unwrapping the Crunchy Chicken Fillet.
Expert input from a neurologist led the team to incorporate the iMax theatre and 7.1 Dolby Surround Sound within the execution and roll out, enabling more intense audio-visual stimulation and appreciation of the message.
The iMax screen in the cinema theatre environment would accentuate the visual stimuli from the film. With 7.1 Dolby’s seven channels around the theatre, the usual sound dynamics of ASMR could be taken to the next level, with sound moving from one ear to another — from front to back, centre to left and right — in order to increase concentration levels in the brain, and help trigger the ASMR experience more quickly.
“From our signature recipes to our family-friendly dining, Burger King has been committed to the Gulf markets for 27 years. When launching the brand’s first Crunchy Chicken Fillet, we wanted the experience to be sensational for our customers; something that truly resonated with the participative age they are living, and which they will remember positively for a long time to come,” commented Albanderi Alyamani, Marketing Manager at Burger King.
A two-minute version of the film was released on YouTube as well. Shot entirely in the recording studio, a spread of microphones around the actor captured every sound in detail, with binaural microphones supporting the team on delivering a sound track that was ultra-realistic.
“Cinema-going is an emerging entertainment platform for people in Saudi Arabia, and has benefitted from the installation of the very latest technology. It was a strategic decision to leverage a new communication channel for Burger King’s new Crunchy Chicken Fillet and deliver an ASMR film like no other,” added Rayyan Aoun, Executive Creative Director at J. Walter Thompson KSA
Credits:
Brand: Burger King
Marketing Director: Robert Dreghorn
BK Marketing Manager: Albanderi Mohammed Alyamani
Agency: J Walter Thompson
Executive Creative Director: Rayyan Aoun
Associate Creative Director: Firas Ghannam
Copywriter: Nora Alhemaid
Associate Business Director: Karim Baker
Account Manager: Abdullah Issa
Executive Producer – Dejavu Production House: Manasvi Gosalia
Director: Neelay ShahSound Engineer: Elie Akl
