Burger King cooks up total rebrand for first time in 20 years

Burger King, the second largest fast-food burger chain in the world, has announced a total revamp of its brand image for the first time in 20 years.

The fast-food business says in a media statement the redesign of its logo, food packaging and restaurants "signals a commitment to digital-first expression" and comes after recent improvements to taste and food quality, through the removal of colours, flavours, and preservatives from its food items.

In addition, Burger King, owned by Restaurant Brands International, is making an ambitious pledge to environment sustainability.

"Design is one of the most essential tools we have for communicating who we are and what we value, and it plays a vital role in creating desire for our food and maximising guests’ experience," said Raphael Abreu, Restaurant Brands International Head of Design.

"We wanted to use design to get people to crave our food, its flame-grilling perfection and above all, its taste."

The rebranding sees a new logo with a rounded font that mirrors the shape of its burgers and other menu items. Bold colours in shades of brown, red and green are a nod to Burger King’s flame-grilling process and its use of fresh ingredients.

Founded in 1954, Burger King operates in more than 18,800 locations in more than 100 countries and US territories. Almost 100 per cent of Burger King restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees, many of them family-owned operations.

"We’ve been doing a lot in terms of food quality and experience," said Fernando Machado, Global Chief Marketing Officer of Restaurant Brands International. "We felt that putting a wrap around all that with an upgrade of our visual identity would help signal to our consumers that this is a brand that’s evolving."

Burger King had already announced it would remove all artificial colours and preservatives from its signature Whopper burgers as fast-food chains are increasingly introducing healthier options to meet consumer tastes.

The new visual branding will launch in early 2021, with the redesign on restaurant locations across the world happening in the next few years.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Restaurant Brands International saw its revenue fall by 12 per cent in the first three quarters of 2020 as its Burger King, Popeyes and Tim Horton restaurants were forced to operate mainly on takeaway and delivery mode. In the third quarter, Restaurant Brands International saw some recovery as it recorded US$1.3 billion in revenue, which was down eight per cent year on year.