Go big or stay home: Burger King SG debuts social distancing crown

Burger King Singapore has introduced giant social distancing crowns in select stores islandwide to remind fans to keep one meter apart when dining in. After weeks of lockdown, the fast food chain has chosen to embrace the ‘new normal’ by encouraging its customers to adopt the oversized headgear as just one of a number of creative ways to keep customers socially distant in-store.

According to Irene Tay, marketing director, Burger King Singapore, the social distancing crown is purposefully designed to extend far enough off the wearer’s head so that when two people wear it, they are one meter apart from each other at all times. These coveted crowns will be available in-store from 24 June 2020. Tay added that fans who choose to don the oversized crown while dining in, will unlock instant rewards at participating stores islandwide as part of a series of creative initiatives designed to keep customers and staff safe.

In addition, fans will be able to create their own version using recycled materials at home, for those who are not able to claim them in stores. Burger King joins other selected restaurants that have opened their doors to allow dining-in, and have also implemented safeguarding measures such as table top separators, counter shields, kiosk separators and booth dividers.

The giant social distancing crowns were first rolled out by Burger King Germany in May. The dine-in option was allowed in Germany earlier, and the King tested out the giant crowns as quirky ways to ensure customers are six feet apart at all times. Meanwhile, its Italy counterpart introduced a “Social Distancing Whopper” that comes with three times the amount of raw onions usually found on the burger. According to Business Insider, the trick was to ensure onion-induced bad breath will keep consumers far apart.

Just last month, Burger King Singapore curated a cheesy playlist on Spotify to promote the launch of its BBQ Cheesy Trio burger. The songs put together by the Burger King team were meant to be “cheesy” and expressions of sweet moments shared between one another. However, at the same time, the playlist is also for fans and everyone to “let their guard down and melt down to the music”. The playlist titled "BK BBQ Cheesy Trio medley" features a series of "cheesy" love songs such as "You and Me", "Wonderful Tonight", "Take My Breath Away", "Say You Won’t Let Go", “I Wouldn’t Know Any Better Than You”, "One Call Away", “Slow Dancing in A Burning Room” and many others. 

According to Tay, this is the first time the Singapore team has come up with a music playlist. The overall campaign and playlist was done in collaboration with Bread Butter Bacon and Havas Media Singapore.

Meanwhile, KFC Singapore has brought in new dining companions in stores. At eight selected KFC restaurants, cut-outs of Colonel Sanders have been spread out across the store to ensure safe distancing between diners. A series of four different Colonel can be seen in stores, these include two cartoon Colonel 'Buddy' Sanders, a young anime Colonel and the original Colonel Sanders.

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