Ordering lunch at the drive-through is not typically the kind of thing that one associates with sexuality.
From the general aura of employee malaise at many chain restaurants to the guy in front of you rudely screaming his order into the microphone, there's just nothing about the experience that's arousing.
It's not that food is unsexy. It absolutely can be sexy, no doubt about that. Anyone who's ever seen a chef labor over a stunning presentation of an entrée or gazed into their date's eyes over dinner might be able to relate to the idea.
And while we won't dive into details, let's just say that sex and food have mingled together in many a film scene as well.
While sex is a long-proven way to sell just about everything, there's something about combining it with fast food that just feels wrong. And yet, Burger King (QSR) has done exactly that in its latest promo for its sandwich menu.
Burger King and Sex? What?
Burger King
On April 23, the Burger King India Twitter account recently showed off the King's Collection, a selection of sandwiches the chain just debuted. As one would expect, several items cater to the Indian palate, like a Chicken Tandoori or a Paneer Royale (both of which sound pretty tasty).
There's also a Hot 'N' Cheezy Burger, which consists of a fried chili cheese patty, a spicy sauce, and masala buns, and a Fiery Chicken, which also comes with a sauce made with Indian spices.
But the thing that stands out in the ad is not the food but the tagline, which reads "Every flavour brings a new gasm." And at the bottom of the ad, a hashtag states "#FoodThatGasms."
In America, sometimes people use the slang term "foodgasm," which, of course, equates a meal with the pleasure of an orgasm. And while that doesn't seem super risque in this country, it does ring as off-color in a place where sexuality is rarely discussed openly and casual sex is extremely rare.
It's not the first time the chain has leaned on sexual themes, either. A tweet from April 12 takes a similar approach, with a tagline that reads "Leaving your taste buds all hot and bothered."
Yes, the innuendo is relatively chaste in comparison to what it could be. Carl's Jr. at one point was known for a much more blatant approach, putting out commercials like the one below, which attempted to sexualize the food to a point of absurdity.
Carl's Jr dropped the approach after Chief Executive Andrew Puzder, who once said "ugly women don't sell burgers," left, in 2017.
But perhaps these little teases are just enough for a winning formula for Burger King India. With more than 26,000 followers on Twitter, some people are picking up what the chain is putting down.
And if mild flirting via social media over a new sandwich is putting some spice into anyone's life, hey, that's not for us to judge. But if Burger King gets some hate mail for its indecency, it shouldn't be too surprised.
