The fast-food chain Burger King in Spain has withdrawn and apologized for an offensive advertising campaign that sparked outrage among Catholics during Holy Week.
“We apologize to all those who felt offended by our campaign to promote our plant-based products during Holy Week. Our intention was never to offend anyone and the immediate withdrawal of the campaign has already been requested,” Burger King announced on Easter Sunday via its official Twitter account.
The fast-food chain had chosen to use, on billboards across Spain, the words of Jesus at the Last Supper consecrating the bread, modifying them to promote a new vegetarian burger. The advertising campaign provoked outrage from thousands of Catholics, several priests, and a bishop.
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One of the billboards stated: “Take everything you have and eat it. Who has no meat 100% vegetarian 100% flavor. The great king of vegetables.” Another advertisement said: “The flesh of my flesh,” with the word “flesh,” which is the same word for meat in Spanish, crossed out and replaced by “vegetable.”
When reactions against the Burger King brand went viral, the hashtag #BoycottBurgerKing began circulating on social media and a petition was launched on the CitizenGO platform.
“They mock the Eucharist and the death of Christ during the most sacred moment for Christians. They take advantage of Holy Week to launch a campaign offensive to millions of believers in order to advertise themselves and make money. It is time to respond with a boycott of Burger King,” reads the petition, which calls for the removal of the advertisements, an apology, and the dismissal of a senior executive.
“Money is the only thing these companies understand and it is only with a boycott that they will begin to respect Christians and Jesus Christ as they deserve,” the text adds.
By Monday, April 18, the petition had gathered more than 22,000 signatures.
CitizenGO stated that Burger King must receive “such a response to its campaign that they never again consider producing such an advertisement,” because “there is nothing a company fears more than the mobilization of citizens against it.”
Read in English on CNA