It’s every burger lover’s dream come true. On Wednesday, Aug. 26, Burger King extended a temporary olive branch to longtime rival McDonald’s in full-page ads that ran in The New York Times and The Chicago Tribune. The modest proposal? That the two fast-food titans come together to create the McWhopper.
The newly imagined food item would, in theory, fuse two of America’s best-known burgers from each of the two chains — McDonald’s Big Mac and Burger King’s Whopper — by combining ingredients from each iconic burger.
The unusual pairing comes in honor of the International Day of Peace, which will be celebrated on Sept. 21. According to Burger King’s proposal, the two mega-chains will open a pop-up store in Atlanta, Ga. just for that day, in a parking lot between a McDonald’s and a Burger King.
Proceeds from the novelty burger sale would go toward Peace One Day, a non-profit group that raises awareness about the UN’s International Day of Peace.
“Corporate activism on this scale creates mass awareness and awareness creates action and action saves lives,” Jeremy Gilley, founder of Peace One Day, says in a video posted on McWhopper.com, the website Burger King created specifically for this proposal.
McDonald’s responded via Facebook later in the day, and the tone was hopeful.
“Dear Burger King,” the tongue-in-cheek post read. “Inspiration for a good cause… great idea. We love the intention but think our two brands could do something bigger to make a difference. We commit to raise awareness worldwide, perhaps you’ll join us in a meaningful global effort?”
“And every day, let’s acknowledge that between us there is simply a friendly business competition and certainly not the unequaled circumstances of the real pain and suffering of war,” the message continued. “We’ll be in touch. P.S. – A simple phone call will do next time.”
