'Moldy Whopper' Campaign Recognised with 10 Pencils at D&AD Awards

Burger King‘s 'Moldy Whopper' campaign created by Publicis (Romania and Spain), INGO Stockholm and David Miami won a total of ten awards – including the coveted Black Pencil- at D&AD Awards, the world’s most prestigious in creative excellence. 

The 'Moldy Whopper' awards at D&AD included one Black Pencil (in PR) and four Yellow Pencils under the categories of Art Direction, PR and Press & Outdoor; four other additional Graphite Pencils for Integrated, Art Direction, Media, and Film Advertising; as well as a Wood Pencil for Art Direction. 

Following the wins, Publicis Romania has been elevated to become the third-placed advertising agency in the world in D&AD Rankings 2020. The Moldy Whopper also represented the first ever Black Pencil recognition given to an agency in Romania. 

The winning campaign zeroes in on Burger’s stance to use fresh ingredients by showing that like real food, their whoppers get mouldy over the course of 35 days - an uncommon practice in the fast-food industry. From the bun to the freshly-sliced onions, tomatoes and lettuce, and the 100% beef patty,  the striking images show the real mould that grows on every part of the iconic burger. The groundbreaking campaign makes a reference to the number of days that have passed since the sandwich was prepared, with a copy that reads, “The beauty of no artificial preservatives”.

Speaking about the win, Jorg Riommi, chief creative officer Central Eastern Europe and Romania, said: "I’m extremely happy and honoured for this rare achievement: the D&AD Black Pencil is indeed some kind of a creative unicorn, so rare and almost impossible to get – as aptly described by this year’s president of D&AD Kate Stanners. Even rarer is this project as it’s truly one-of-a-kind: an incredible collaboration between Publicis Romania and Publicis Spain with Eduardo Marques, and Ingo Stockholm and David Miami, under the inspired and bold leadership of Burger King’s Global CMO Fernando Machado, the real mastermind of this incredible set-up and project. A phenomenal team I want to thank and congratulate one more time."

Jorg continued: "The bold idea, the strong topic, the amazing craft, and the enormous attention it received once it was launched to the world made it one of the strongest pieces of Burger King global communication in the last decade, and probably a memorable milestone in its history. In particular, I’m proud that we (Publicis Romania, Publicis Spain, and Publicis Groupe NCE) as well as me, personally are a part of this. This demonstrates once again, Publicis Groupe’s creative prowess and our leading position in creativity on the world map. It is a reminder that Nothing is impossible, that anything can be achieved with hard work, passion, and commitment to greatness and that you can play at the very top no matter where you are in the world."  

Sharing an insight into how the creative partnership between Publicis Groupe Romania and Spain on this winning campaign started, Eduardo Marques, CCO Publicis Spain, commented: “After a presentation I was doing in Romania, invited by Jorg, I got such great energy from his team that I said to him at the end: “Now, we need to do something together! I´m sure we´ll rock”. He got the microphone instantly and said: “DEAL!”. The rest...well, the rest is history.”

The imaginative campaign was also recently recognised at The One Show with 4 Grand Prix (Film, Print, Outdoor, Integrated), the Best-of-Show honour and 18 Gold Awards. 

Promoting excellence in design and advertising since 1962, D&AD, a not-for-profit organisation is most known for its annual awards, the D&AD Pencils. At a time when advertising awards are so plentiful that their value is often debased, the status and integrity of a D&AD Pencil has never been in doubt. While many other awards organisers tend to ensure every category has a winner, D&AD Pencils are never handed out unless the work is good enough. The highest award given by D&AD, the Black Pencil, is not necessarily awarded every year. Win one and according to one industry observer, your bragging rights are both massive and eternal. A D&AD Pencil, he adds, is the equivalent of a 'career knighthood'.