McDonald's has been relatively precious when it comes to the Big Mac. The chain's signature sandwich has been around since 1967, and it has rarely been offered in anything other than its classic form.
The number one fast-food hamburger chain has offered a smaller version of the classic sandwich (the Mac Jr.) and a larger version, the Grand Mac, which came with bigger burger patties served on a larger bun.
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McDonald's (MCD) has also offered a Chicken Big Mac, a version of the sandwich featuring fried chicken patties rather than the traditional beef burgers. The chain, however, has not offered variations on the sandwich in the way Burger King has done with its Whopper.
The Whopper was actually introduced in 1957, a full decade ahead of the Big Mac. Burger King, at least in recent years, has not been shy about using its signature to gain media and customer attention.
Various new Whoppers have been introduced around the world, and many of them have been hits. The Restaurant Brands International (QSR) chain has introduced outrageous Whoppers served on colored buns and Whoppers that simply add a new cheese or topping to the classic sandwich.
Burger King has even leveraged its big-name sandwich to launch a plant-based burger, the Impossible Whopper, and now, at least in one market, it has brought back an upscale take on the beloved sandwich.
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Burger King's menu adds the Truffle Whopper
Not every new Whopper gets a global release. Burger King's latest Whopper, which is making a menu return, has only been offered in the Philippines. It's a high-end take on the famous sandwich, which might make some Americans consider getting on a plane.
The Truffle Whopper, which was first introduced in 2022, has been brought back with an improved version of the truffle sauce that gives the burger its name. Burger King is offering the returning sandwich in a classic and Jr. version.
"Both these Burger King burgers use their signature flame-grilled beef patties and crisp onions in between the buns. What gives these new burgers that umami you’re looking for is the added truffle mayonnaise. It’s on the subtle side, not masking the taste of the beef and the onions," Yummy.ph reported.
Burger King does not currently offer a plant-based version of the Truffle Whopper. Some locations, however, may make one on request.
The Whopper is Burger King's key product
Burger King has not been shy about using the Whopper to market the brand. That's something Restaurant Brands International CEO Josh Kobza talked about during his company's fourth-quarter earnings call.
"We have also seen success in our purposeful marketing of the Whopper, including the Whopper Jingle and Ways to Whopper campaign. We've taken this one step further with our $1 million Whopper campaign that launched last week. It's designed to let guests help decide the next Whopper through a unique experience that leverages advanced AI technology, brings guests to our Royal Perks app and lets them win some cool prices along the way," he said.
The $1 million Whopper campaign offers people a chance to win $1 million if they submit a Whopper recipe that the chain uses. It has been a wildly successful promotion.
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"We've already seen guests create about 1.5 million new Whoppers," Kobza added.
We have also seen success in our purposeful marketing of the Whopper, including the Whopper Jingle and Ways to Whopper campaign. We've taken this one step further with our $1 million Whopper campaign that launched last week. It's designed to let guests help decide the next Whopper through a unique experience that leverages advanced AI technology, and lets them win some cool prices along the way."
