Should any product cost more simply because it’s labeled differently or colored pink for women? Of course not. And yet a 2015 report by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs found women’s products cost up to 13% more than similar products for men. This isn’t just a problem in New York, so this past April California Congresswoman Jackie Speier introduced the Pink Tax Repeal Act, to end gender-based discriminatory pricing.
To help raise awareness and support for the bill, Burger King decided to illustrate this absurdity by putting its popular chicken fries in a pink box, calling them “Chick Fries,” and charging double the price. Female customer reactions of shock and outrage are pretty much what you’d expect. The brand then asks: If Chick Fries make you mad, why don’t all the other pink-taxed products you buy?
It’s just the latest example of Burger King strategically using stunt advertising to raise awareness for a social issue. In 2014 it was the Proud Whopper, in 2017 it was bullying, and earlier this year it was net neutrality. The brand has found a way to cleverly use the expected frivolity of a fast food ad to make a point without overcooking it to the point of preachy.