The 20-second advertisement for Burger King's signature sandwich, the Whopper.
Leading Russian television stations have refused to air the full version of a Burger King ad that appears to pitch the fast food chain’s product as an alternative to opiates.
The TV clip with the slogan “The time of poppies is over!” starts with a picture of a cheeseburger falling on a poppy flower. The voice-over in the clip explains, “This is a poppy. It was popular once, but now it’s time has passed,” before going on to praise the burger’s ingredients.
In a play on words, poppy translated into Russian is mak, a name that has become synonymous with Burger King’s rival McDonald’s.
The poppy flower is an analogy of a bad habit, Burger King Russia’s marketing director Ivan Shestov wrote in a company statement released Wednesday. The burger is then presented as an alternative to this bad habit.
The channels TNT, CTC, Rossia 2, NTV and Perets have refused to show the full ad, arguing that it contradicts their editorial policy, Lenta.ru reported. They will instead show a revised version.
REN-TV, 2x2 and Disney have decided to run the full clip.
Burger King opened its first Russian restaurant in January 2010 and now has 115 restaurants in major cities across the country. The franchiser Burger King Rus plans to open several hundred more restaurants over the next few years.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.