Select Burger King restaurants in Sweden and Denmark have turned Ronald McDonald into Candyman with a new promotion campaign. There has long been a rivalry between Burger King and McDonald's, and the campaign promises to heighten that in time for Halloween.
One of the most frightening aspects of the 1992 cult-horror film Candyman is its interactive element. Though this wasn’t necessarily intentional on the part of its creators, many fans have, at one point or another, called the name “Candyman” five times into a mirror in a darkened room. It was this method that allowed the killer to return and hunt for victims. Of course, this concept was taken from another urban legend, that of the Bloody Mary, a spiritual entity who can supposedly be invoked by saying the name three times while standing before a mirror in a dark room. Daring someone to complete the ritual isn’t typically done by multinational fast food companies, but recently, that appears to be the case in the Scandinavian nations of Sweden and Denmark.
A new promotion at Burger King in the two nations encourages customers to bring the “canceled clown” to life at the restaurant's select locations. The “canceled clown” is none other than McDonald's’ mascot, Ronald McDonald. According to a new video from Burger King Sweden's official YouTube channel, when customers enter the bathrooms at select Burger King locations, they are encouraged to repeat the phrase “canceled clown” three times. Doing so will cause the lights to shut off, and an image of Ronald McDonald will appear in the mirror. The promotion also hints that customers who dare summon the canceled clown just might be rewarded as well. Check out the video below:
The entire campaign is done by using voice-activated software, allowing images to be projected on to the bathroom’s two-way smart mirrors. Something of this magnitude would make the perfect promotional tie-in for the upcoming Candyman reboot. However, while it’s all very reminiscent of the creepy horror icon, Burger King’s “canceled clown” is not a Candyman promotion, but instead just another creative way to challenge its competition. The upcoming film’s director, Nia DaCosta, has previously said how she hopes that her take on Candyman will get in the heads of audiences and be a visceral experience. It seems like Burger King is already accomplishing that with their Candyman-esque promotion.
Unfortunately, the recent Burger King video doesn’t detail just what sort of rewards customers can lay claim to, should they choose to call out for the “canceled clown.” If only this sort of conjuring was as easy for frustrated Candyman fans. The film’s release date has repeatedly been bumped back thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, and as things currently stand, it won’t arrive until some point in summer 2021. Until then, fans will have to entertain themselves with the original film, and for Scandinavian fans, the “canceled clown” should provide a decent amount of Halloween fun.
Source: Burger King Sweden via YouTube
