The Hot BBQ Whopper, which is expected to be priced at about £3.50, will roll out in restaurants this month. It comprises a flame-grilled beefburger, American cheese, barbecue sauce, lettuce, tomatoes and jalapeno peppers.
The launch will be supported by a TV ad push, created by OPEN, a sister agency of DLKW Lowe. The ad, which positions the Hot BBQ Whopper as the perfect accompaniment to a hot day, will break next week. The TV activity will be backed by point-of-sale work, a Facebook promotion and an iPhone app offer.
The Whopper range includes the Whopper, Double Whopper, Whopper with Cheese and Double Whopper with Cheese. The BBQ variant will be launched as a limited edition, but, if successful, will become a permanent menu item.
Jo Blundell, Burger King's recently appointed marketing director for the UK and Ireland, said that the launch was an attempt to 'capture the essence of summer'.
Burger King has undergone a period of upheaval in the UK since it was acquired by private-equity firm 3G last year. Senior executives have left the business, including UK marketing director Sarah Power.
Power departed as part of a shake-up of Burger King's UK marketing team, which was cut from 10 to four. Overall, about 40 UK jobs were lost.
Burger King is also reviewing its agency arrangements, having decided to part with global agency Crispin Porter & Bogusky. In the interim, UK ads will be produced by OPEN; DLKW Lowe retains the in-store marketing account.
Separately, Burger King has moved its $300m US media planning and buying account from WPP's Mindshare to Publicis-owned Starcom without a review.
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