Not Reality. Actuality.

If you’re a fan of truTV’s show Forensic Files, then the Burger King TV spots might weird you out a little bit. They sure do for me. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, the same voice talent that narrates the Forensic File program also narrates recent Burger King spots.

Here’s an  example:

That same voice talent, Peter Thomas, has been used by truTV to explain horrific murders and crimes on the long-running show Forensic Files. I remember the first time I saw one of those Burger King spots, I was reading a magazine with the TV on in the background…then I heard that voice and I looked up, wondering if the channel changed to truTV on its own. Then I realized it was a Burger King commercial and thought it was a very odd choice to use that voice talent. Not bad, just odd. I don’t think it casts Burger King in a negative light, and I don’t see it firing any subliminal pistons across the nation associating a Whopper with murders and forensic science.

Every time I hear that voice, I look to see if it’s a new Burger King spot or one I’ve already seen. I’ve almost become obsessed with the fact that Burger King chose Peter Thomas for the ads (surely someone at Burger King’s agency was familiar with Forensic Files!). I know that Peter Thomas has voiced many other shows and commercials, but he will always be the voice of Forensic Files to me.

Burger King isn’t known for sticking to the “norm” when it comes to advertising, and if you’ve seen the “Whopper Virgins” and “SpongeBob Square Butt” spots, you already know this. The company is going after its “superfan” and that moniker doesn’t just include 18-to-34-year-old males. “Superfan” is a term coined by Burger King to describe the fast-food hamburger-restaurant industry’s most frequent user: all ages, and all household demographics, with over half of them having children. According to Advertising Age magazine, over 29% are 50 years of age or older.

If you eat fast-food nine or 10 times times per month, you just might be a “superfan.”

Categories: Branding and Positioning, Just for Fun

Tags: ad agencies ft. worth, AdAge, advertising blog, Burger King, creative fort worth, Forensic Files, fort worth addy, fort worth advertising, fort worth marketing, fort worth social media strategy, ft. worth copywriting, Peter Thomas, social media fort worth, stephen young advertising dfw, truTV