Burger King scores a whopper ahead of London Marathon on System1’s scale

Burger King’s new out-of-home campaign has hit the mark with fitness enthusiasts ahead of this weekend’s London Marathon, according to advertising effectiveness platform System1. 

Showing a series of exhausted runners tucking into a post-marathon burger, ‘Finished’ achieved a ‘strong’ 4.3 Star Rating among audiences interested in fitness – a testament to the advert’s timely targeting and human, relatable depiction of post-marathon emotions. 

System1’s Star Rating predicts long-term brand growth and is calculated by measuring emotional response to each ad. Factors which contribute to a high Star Rating include humour, storytelling, and relatability. 

The average score for UK out-of-home creatives is 2.5. 

Alongside a high Star Rating, ‘Finished’ also earned a Fluency Rating of 91 – indicating the percentage of people who recalled the ad was for Burger King. The creative builds consistently on Burger King’s infamous campaign, ‘Bundles of Joy’, which showed images of real new mothers enjoying burgers from their hospital beds. 

“Burger King is very good at showing up authentically in moments that matter,” said Andrew Tindall, Chief Growth Officer – Advertising at System1. “Like ‘Bundles of Joy’, this latest campaign taps into something real, this time with runners heading into the London Marathon, and it does it without the usual fitness theatre. Most people are not living on kale and clean eating. They are putting in months of effort and looking forward to a well-earned treat at the end. That is human. 

“There will be the usual criticism about fast food and fitness not mixing, but that misses the point. Life is about balance, and this ad gets that. Burger King stands for something. It speaks to people in a way that feels honest and makes them feel seen. 

“Contrast ‘Finished’ to Nike’s Parkrun effort – which was comparatively lifeless, inaccessible, and rooted in fitness stereotypes – and the difference is clear to see.”