Burger King Brazil Wants to Buy Your Vote in This Election

Despite voting being mandatory in Brazil, the abstention rate in the 2022 elections – the most recently held in the country – reached a record high, with 31 million people not voting. Understanding the importance of each vote and recognizing its social role, Burger King Brazil launched a campaign, created by DAVID São Paulo, aimed at encouraging the public to get out and vote. How? After the elections, which took place on Sunday, October 6th, anyone who showed proof of voting at the counter of BK restaurants on Monday, October 7th, could choose between receiving a free order of fries or onion rings. The voting receipt was not retained at the time of redemption.

To promote this initiative and emphasise the importance of voting, a special film prepared by the brand was aired from October 2nd to 7th. This spot was widely broadcast on Brazil's major open television networks during prime time over those days. 

Additionally, the campaign included out-of-home (OOH) advertisements in many cities and in-store activations (around 700 stores nationwide).

As a result, yesterday, the exchange day, thousands of people showed up at the stores throughout the day to prove they had fulfilled their duty and could enjoy one of the delights sold by BK.

In Brazil, elections are known for being highly modern and fully digital, using an electronic voting system is considered one of the most advanced in the world. Voters cast their ballots using electronic voting machines, which ensure quick and secure processing. After going to a designated polling station and casting votes, each voter receives a receipt as proof of. The entire voting process is completed on election day, and remarkably, the results are typically announced within just a few hours after the polls close, making Brazil's election system one of the fastest.

"This is a fun and irreverent campaign that reinforces the social role of BK, which often goes unnoticed due to our humour-driven brand profile," said Igor Puga, marketing vice president at ZAMP, the master franchisee of Burger King and Popeyes in Brazil. "The goal was to engage consumers on one of today's most important topics, voting, while also encouraging reflection and citizenship among all our customers."

Burger King has carried out other election-themed campaigns in Brazil, such as 2018 'Blank Whopper' and 2022 'Burger King Elections' – In this case, the goal is to encourage young people to obtain their voter registration cards and fulfil their civic duty by voting. Reality shows are a craze in Brazil, and many people spend their time voting on TV shows. If voting is already a habit, why not do the right thing?

Remember, regardless of your candidates, it’s important to do your part and exercise your right to vote. This is yet another Burger King activation during the electoral period to encourage public participation in this crucial societal moment.