Burger King’s ‘Women belong in the kitchen’ ad is a cautionary tale, experts say

Burger King on Monday served up more than just a whopper of a controversy when it announced an initiative aimed at getting more women into the culinary field. It offered a case study in what not to do when promoting a social cause, marketing experts say.

The goal of Burger King’s program, which offers scholarships funded by the fast-food chain’s foundation, didn’t stir outrage, but the provocative advertising used to promote it sure did. “Women belong in the kitchen,” proclaimed a tweet from Burger King UK’s account, timed to coincide with International Women’s Day. The line also appeared in large type in a full-page print ad in the New York Times on Monday.