Burger King has upset some real life royalty this week, when an online promotion in Belgium invited people to choose between the country’s King Philippe and the company’s mascot.
Belgium’s royal family has contacted the fast food chain Burger King over the ad that, on whoistheking.be, created to mark the launch of Burger king in Belgium.
The ad asks ‘who is the king’ and offers viewers a choice between the two kings. Those who select Philippe are met with the message: “Are you sure? He won’t be the one to cook your fries.”
When users choose King Philippe again they can not click on the ‘Yes’ button because it moves around the screen.
A spokesman said the use of the king’s image must be approved by the royal family, but they had not been asked. On the website, Philippe is represented by a cartoon.
“The use of the King’s image is subject to authorisation,” the spokesman added. “In this particular case, we received no requests. Since it is for commercial purposes, we would not have given our authorisation.”
The burger giant have launched the stunt as part of its marketing efforts to promote the opening of its first outlet in Belgium, which is scheduled for the end of June.