Burger King’s Subservient Chicken Is Back, But He Has A ‘Fowl’ Temperament [Video]
Over a decade ago, when the internet revolution was raging, Burger King introduced a humble and obedient chicken to the world. Over 10 years in obscurity, the ‘Subservient Chicken’ is back, but he isn’t exactly what he used to be.
The Subservient Chicken was an interesting publicity exercise that combined multiple human interests and developed an internet sensation that engulfed the world. Essentially, the chicken was nicknamed subservient because it basically did what the audience asked it do.
Created by Crispin Porter + Bogusky for the Miami-based fast-food chain’s Tender Crisp chicken sandwich, the campaign featured a man in a chicken suit doing anything people told it to. The campaign was supposed to be a clever way to reinforce Burger King’s tagline “Chicken the way you like it.”
Visitors to the Burger King’s site were allowed to send instructions via a simple chat window and the chicken obeyed the orders. Though surprisingly, most of the instructions were humane and decent, Burger King managed to enhance its appeal and exposure via such an offbeat take.
But as with all things, the subservient chicken was unceremoniously retired and the new campaign tells the story of this chicken once the spotlight stopped shinning. Rather disturbing and tragic, the just released video briefly chronicles the low–points in the life of the subservient chicken. It shows how after Burger King gave him the boot, the only work he could get was entertaining unruly children at birthday parties, entering illegal cock-fighting contests, and even buying beer for underage drinkers.
Needless to say, all these endeavors end very tragically and the chicken finds himself miserably sitting on a curb, when a physical trainer recognizes the former internet sensation and forces him to start his life again via endurance and physical training.
So begins the turn–around of the subservient chicken, but this time, he is no longer the ready–to–please guy. He trains hard and is even made to drink eggs, which is kind of forced cannibalism. He fights his way back to health and even manages to find a new signature move, comically labeled “double pecker,” reports Miami Times.
Reinventing and renaming himself as the Chicken Big King, the no–longer subservient chicken is back in the game and even refuses to obey the director of his new commercial. Burger King has somehow cleverly managed to win the hearts by this coming–back story of a has-been who is now stronger and appears to give the “Cluck–You” to the people who may try to boss him around.
[Images via Bing]
