“The moral is: Never trust a clown.”
That’s how the German subsidiary for Burger King trolled archrival McDonald’s with ambush advertising during the conclusion of a screening of Stephen King’s movie “It” recently, Entertainment Weekly reported Friday.
“Stephen King’s ’IT’ is back. Starring a strange clown that reminds us of our biggest competitor’s mascot,” Burger King Deutschland’s YouTube page captioned its Oct. 5 video. “So we hijacked the pre-premiere, turning the horror film of the year into the longest Burger King spot of all times. Ready for some horror? #nevertrustaclown[.]”
According to the Internet Movie Database, “It” went into wide release in Germany on Sept. 28, and has brought in $11.7 million since its release, according to BoxOfficeMojo.
The practical joke in Germany comes on the heels of the Russian subsidiary for Burger King launching a complaint in Moscow that “It” violated that countries laws forbidding product placement.
• Ken Shepherd can be reached at kshepherd@washingtontimes.com.
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