Burger King has been testing its “Frypod” concept of “fresh apples cut to look like French fries” since September of 2007, but has just recently announced that the kids menu item will be made available nationwide in the United States. The new menu item is of course part of Burger King’s attempt to offer healthier meal choices, especially to children. View the “BK Fresh Apple Fries” online at: http://www.bk.com/#men=2,81,-1
These “apple fries” not only resemble actual french fries, but are served in a fries-like serving cup/shell. But they are not actually fried and are served chilled.
Few will likely think the item is what BK says they are: fried. And Burger King readily admits the apple fries are just meant to “look like French fries.” So are they what they say they are, “BK Fresh Apple Fries”? Or not?
And are the apple fries “true to self,” namely what you’d expect from the product-development process of Burger King? Or are the apple fries “not true to self,” an askew side dish that is obviously out of place at “the home of the Whopper.” Would any “actual customers” freakout if the “Fresh Apple Fries” were taken off the menu? (See: www.whopperfreakout.com for “authentic” BK freakouts.)
In assessing whether Fake-fake, Fake-real, Real-fake, or Real-real, remember one’s conclusion should drive what action would be recommended. The decision should determine if BK would be advised to celebrate, mask, acknowledge, or transcend the item’s inauthenticity. So, have it your way: You decide.
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With the release by a health food board “Burger King swept the Worst category with its Double Whopper with Cheese, French Fries, Old Fashioned Ice Cream Shake, Hash Browns, and Value Meals.” I see this attempt as a reaction to poor results, bad publicity and yes, issues of obesity. Like MikeDs, BK is what it is, a huckster of hamburgers, a chandler of cholesterol, sellers of supersize. Fresh apples slices is merely a tactic to draw would-be worrisome mothers to bring their babies back to the buns. Is BK a health food purveyor of purity, I think not. The brand, name and the promise is that they are the “Burger King” and not the “Royalty of Richness and Goodness”. Be what you are, we will still eat what we, the consumers, want.
If you want your children to eat healthier, then do the most authentic action, make it for them. (my wife’s addition).
As Mulder says “The truth is out there” we need to just push aside the blinding glimmer to see.