Wimpy's Braille Burgers

Fast food ads usually inspire feelings such as mirth, guilt (for me anyway), surprise, and normally, horror at the amount of cheese on that burger! But Wimpy has just launched a touching ad campaign aimed at the blind.

It shows Wimpy's chefs meticulously placing sesame seeds to create messages in Braille on burger buns, such as “100% beef burger just for you” etc.

We then see the buns delivered to a few sight impaired people, with their surprised and overjoyed reactions to the burger’s messages filmed. 

It is extraordinarily moving to see their reactions when they realize that their burger is talking to them. The video explains that “For people who use their hands as their eyes, this is the first time they could do more than just taste their food, they could see it.” :D

According to 2006 data, there are more than 300,000 blind people in South Africa. And this ad is part of Wimpy’s campaign to make SA more aware of that fact. The video was made to “let people know that Wimpy is a place where everyone can feel at home.”  

Did you know that Wimpy has been producing their menus in Braille since 2002? I wish there were more restaurants making this effort!

I noticed a few things though:

The entire ad is totally visual, with no voiceover or any kind of vocal explanation for their target, the visually impaired, and even though it shows the ad going viral in the social network world on blind-friendly computers and smart phones, I’m sure that there is quite a large majority of impoverished blind people (especially in South Africa) who do not have access to computers, or are computer illiterate!

I also spotted that the oven in the ad was quite grimy. Icky!

All in all I think the ad was well done, and hope that it does make one appreciate the efforts Wimpy make next time they eat there.

I have been told of a friend of a friend who is blind, and how she has to feel her food to recognize what it is. I can only imagine how technology enriches the lives of the blind, and hope that some profits from this ad will go to equipping blind institutions and charities.

The ad won "Ad of the Month - November"

While researching this post, I read how a blind woman was turned away from McDonald’s because she had her guide dog with her. SO unfeeling!

Here’s the ad, what do you think?