Why Burger King France Handed Out a Free Bag of Potatoes to Every Customer Who Wanted One

The chain bought surplus crops from struggling farmers hit by the pandemic

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The pandemic has fundamentally changed our consumption habits and, with many restaurants closed for dining in, suppliers around the world are feeling the pinch as their usual customer base shrinks.

To help farmers in France, Burger King snapped up an extra 200 tons of potatoes that otherwise would not have been sold. But what was it going to do with all those potatoes?

The solution: Give away a free kilogram bag of potatoes to any drive-thru customer who wanted one (it came out to about 181,000 bags up for grabs, by our calculations).

With the help of agency Buzzman, the brand kicked off a print and social marketing campaign promoting the deal and urging people to make a new 2021 resolution: to buy more potatoes.

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