Burger King SA appoints King James

Following a five-way pitch, King James Group has been appointed to launch the Burger King brand in South Africa and retained for the following year to assist with its aggressive roll-out strategy across the country.

Burger King, founded in 1953, is a global chain headquartered in Miami, US and it currently has 12,700 outlets in 73 countries.

It plans to launch its first store in Cape Town in early May and the agency will roll out a fully integrated strategy to ensure a strong brand presence for the quick service restaurant, which is internationally known for its Whopper.

Strategic public relations

All six communications agencies within the group are involved in bringing the international brand to market and the launch campaign will rely on strategic public relations (Atmosphere Communications), social media and content marketing (Society), activation (Hammer Live Brands), digital support (Punk) and design (RSVP).

"We are obviously thrilled to win such a significant account and excited to successfully launch and build such an established global brand in South Africa," says James Barty, group chief executive.

"The agency is a natural fit for us, offering an integrated communications approach that is both creative and strategic," says Rozanna Kader, marketing and communications manager for Burger King SA.