In summer 2022, a viral tweet showing 1993 classic game Doom running on a McDonald’s kiosk sent gamers wild. As it turns out, the inspired “hack” was a Photoshop job. Now archrival Burger King has now brought gaming to its self-service screens for real.

Expanding on its collaboration with Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II which is bringing a special Call of Duty Whopper meal to 6,000 locations across 39 markets, the fast food chain turned kiosks across France and Spain into gaming consoles complete with controllers.

“Kiosk of Duty” was created by David New York and gave gamers unique access to a special mission which was rewarded with a free burger and fries on completion.

“We made this campaign an immersive experience, allowing Burger King lovers and gamers alike to test out Call of Duty’s new game in a fun, interactive way,” said Andre Toledo, chief creative offer at David New York.

“Only with these two bold brands could you create something so special for fans of both brands, which is quite a large overlap. The customer reaction exceeded expectations and surprised us all,” he added.

Reclaiming the flame

The call of Duty franchise and Burger King go way back. Burger Town, a fictional chain with a logo that resembles Burger King’s, has been featured in the series for over a decade.

The brands inked a large-scale official partnership in October 2022, little over a year after former Burger King CMO Fernando Machado joined Activision Blizzard to helm up its marketing efforts.

So far, in-game and in-store activations have played a key role in promoting the tie-up. These have included Burger King offering players in-game rewards such as special skins and extra playing time. In South Africa, diners got the chance to experience a completely dark Modern Warfare II-themed restaurant using specially designed night vision goggles.

In the U.S., Burger King recently committed to revitalizing its business by funneling $400 million into a program called Reclaim the Flame which will be spent on marketing, innovation and store updates. The chain hopes the blueprint, developed with help from its franchisees, will help salvage lackluster sales in the market.

The Burger King U.S. team and this group of franchisees met for months to collaborate on building a plan to address guest needs, accelerate sales growth and strengthen long-term franchisee profitability.

During its Q3 earnings call in November, CEO José Cil said the plan would start by “reclaiming a rightful share of voice in media and consideration.”

He said this would involve “shoring up [Burger King’s] brand equities and delivering on [its] brand purpose” as well as “the relentless pursuit of better” for its patrons.

This has already been put in motion with a new spin on the brand’s classic “Have it Your Way” tagline. An updated “You Rule” proposition from independent agency O’Keefe Reinhard & Paul (OKRP) has been implemented to let customers know that they can get what they want any way they want at Burger King.