Thursday Wake-Up Call: How Burger King and Pizza Hut joked about the 'presidential alert,' plus other news
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Welcome to Ad Age’s Wake-Up Call, our daily roundup of advertising, marketing, media and digital news. You can get an audio version of this briefing on your Alexa device. Search for “Ad Age” under “Skills” in the Alexa app. What people are talking about today: The first-ever presidential alert blared from U.S. smartphones yesterday, startling people out of their mid-day lull and reportedly scaring pets. “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System,” the text said, accompanied by beeping. “No action is needed.”
Burger King and Pizza Hut responded fast on social media (h/t Jessica Wohl.) Were they funny, though? Meh. Almost instantly, BK tweeted a “Burger King Alert,” asking if everyone got the message. Pizza Hut tweeted: “THIS IS A PIZZA TEST to ensure you’re aware it’s #NationalPizzaMonth ” Steak-umm waited a while, then came up with, “THIS IS NOT A DRILL. Steak-Umm 2020 . Time to beef up America.” Which, depending on your point of view, can feel either like it’s poking fun of MAGA or paying it homage. It’s a political joke, but it’s safe.
One of the better responses came from the Houston Zoo, which posted a photo of a baby elphant. “THIS IS A TEST of the Cute Baby Elephant Alert System,” it said. “No action is needed.” Sometimes a baby elephant just does the trick.
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