The Newberg Burger King’s Inflatable Burger: The One That Got Away

Reported By: Benny Schorie

Illustrated By: Addie Patterson

In the early morning of Nov. 11, an inflatable Whopper broke free from its ties in front of Newberg’s Burger King; it blew across Portland Road, and hit some local businesses. This moment was captured on video and quickly circulated on social media amongst Newberg residents.

Throughout the fall, the Whopper, with its absurd size and detailed graphics, became a fixture of Newberg. In a survey conducted by The Crescent, one George Fox University (GFU) student noted, “It was undeniably garish, but it also felt like an integral part of the Newberg landscape,” and another student thought it made the burgers seem “unappetizing.” Ultimately, all who saw it couldn’t help but wonder: why was it there in the first place?

According to GFU marketing professor Jim Simmons, the primary goal is to draw consumer attention; in a world that bombards everyone with marketing messages, creating memorable marketing strategies is increasingly difficult. “One of the biggest marketing challenges in our world of instant information, prolonged screen time, and the like is breaking through all of the noise and clutter,” Simmons said.

Although digital marketing has become more prominent, “many brands (large and small) actually overspent in recent years on digital marketing and have now returned to spending more of their budget on ‘traditional’ marketing because of its overall effectiveness,” Simmons said. Marketing plans include a variety of strategies to achieve different goals. However, successful marketing is more than just flashy displays; it is about making a real impact on consumers.

For most, the inflatable Whopper’s journey made more of an impact than the display itself. Simmons points out that few people will associate it with Burger King: “any residual effect will be gone in a nanosecond if it hasn't already disappeared, and people are onto the next thing.” Unless Burger King chooses to capitalize on this event by responding quickly or laughing at it with consumers, Simmons believes the inflatable Whopper will not impact Burger King’s business. This sentiment was reflected by student opinions, most of whom said the event had no impact on their likelihood of eating at Burger King. 

Although Burger King set the ball in motion for a hilarious Internet moment, attention spans are short, and Burger King’s opportunity to seize the moment blew away just as quickly as their comically large Whopper.