"Simpsons" - Integrated Campaign - 01

'Simpsons' Creative Ruled in July

By Eleftheria Parpis

NEW YORK
The best of July was all about The Simpsons Movie mania. Most interesting, of course, was 7-Eleven's transformation into real-life Kwiki-Marts, complete with straight-out-of-Springfield, limited-edition products like Krusty O's cereal. But Burger King made the best Simpsons play on TV with a spot in which the King masterminds an alien plot to simpsonize the world. It directs viewers to the animated simpsonizeme.com Web site, where visitors can upload their pictures to see their Simpson doppelganger.

The BK commercial opens with a balding guy with a gut giving his fast-food order. The slobbering cartoon alien behind the counter, however, has different plans, asking him, "Do you want to be transformed into a 2-D character with yellow skin?" A laser beam then converts the customer into an elated Homer, who materializes with a "Woo hoo!" Cut to a city in panic as multiple laser beams turn citizens into the Simpsons cast of characters (e.g., a newscaster reporting on the "alien invasion" becomes anchorman Kent Brockman and an old man on a scooter crabby Grandpa). Back in the spaceship, the aliens hail their chief, who reveals himself as the King in an alien costume. "The world is going Simpsons," says the voiceover, "and BK is in on it." Boy, is it ever.