Here in the United States, Burger King is simply known as a fast good giant with an endearingly boastful name, but that name takes on different connotations in countries that actually have a monarchy—especially if Burger King actually suggests that it could unseat the real ruler. That’s what’s happening in Belgium now, after Burger King launched a new ad campaign in which Belgians are asked to go online and choose between the fast food restaurant and King Philippe, the country’s actual monarch. This comes from Reuters, which says that if you go online and try to vote for King Philippe, it even stops to remind you that he “won’t cook you fries.”
This is all part of a big push to drum up hype in anticipation of Burger King opening its first locations in Belgium next month, and King Philippe isn’t a big fan of the campaign. A representative has notified Burger King that the king is “not amused” by the ad, especially because the image of King Philippe can’t “be used for commerce.” Weirdly, Burger King doesn’t seem like it’s in any hurry to appease the real king, with a spokesperson releasing a statement that says the company is “deliberating on how to proceed” and that it will make an announcement if it decides to “make a change.”
Presumably, that decision will be made once it sees how this voting shakes out, since Burger King obviously won’t have to do anything if it manages to dethrone King Philippe.