Video viral of the week: Burger King ‘pensioner team’ builds new stores in Italy

May 17, 2016 | Online video, Viral and buyrals

In Italy, ‘Umarells’ is the name given to retirees who like to spend their days observing and commenting on the ongoing work in the various construction sites. Burger King decided to make use of them in this new viral campaign… Every day hundreds of people use social networks to ask us when and where we […]

In Italy, ‘Umarells’ is the name given to retirees who like to spend their days observing and commenting on the ongoing work in the various construction sites. Burger King decided to make use of them in this new viral campaign…


Every day hundreds of people use social networks to ask us when and where we will open new Burger King restaurants. How can tell them that we’ll soon fulfill their wish in a cool way using digital channels?
Before a new restaurant there always comes a construction site. And for every construction site, there is always a group of “Umarells” to be found. The idea was to have Umarells as the heroes of a video.
umarells.jpg
Umarells recruited by Burger King had the chance to supervise for a day the work in progress of one of the upcomings restaurants: a construction site entirely for them, where workers actually listened to their advice.
Created by agency The Big Now, the video describes their dream come true was able to answer the fans’ requests in a unexpected way.
The operation started with the intervention of Franco Bonini, the most famous Umarell the world, shouting “King of Umarells” launched on the net an appeal to all pensioners of yards enthusiasts.
To reach this segment, Burger King organized a search campaign using the most effective means in order: ads on crossword magazines, posters posted in the dance halls, bowling alleys, gardens, circles of papers and boards of the churches.
At the end of a long selection, they were chosen Franco, Ugo, Salvatore, and Adriano Clemente, 5 Umarells that for a day they had the opportunity to supervise a construction site at the opening of a new restaurant.

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