Advertising is a cutthroat business where you fight tooth and nail for every breadcrumb of market share.
For decades, two of the biggest combatants have been McDonald’s and Burger King. It’s the marketing equivalent of UFC. These warriors make the battle between Democrats and Republicans feel like kundelini yoga.
So, what did Burger King in the UK decide to do this week? They ran an ad for McDonald’s.
Under the headline, “Order from McDonald’s,” the company released a short message that is blowing up on the internet.
“We never thought we’d be asking you to do this,” the message starts. “Just like we never thought we’d be encouraging you to order from KFC, Subway, Domino’s Pizza, Pizza Hut, Five Guys, Greggs, Taco Bell, Papa John’s, Leon…or any of the other food outlets, too numerous to mention here.”
I felt my arteries clog up just writing all those names, but that’s not the point. The point is: Why did Burger King do it? Because, the message continues, “restaurants employing thousands of staff really need your support at the moment.”
If we ever needed another reminder of the times we are living in, this is as poignant as it gets: Cutthroat competitors helping each other out.
If we ever needed another reminder of the times we are living in, this is as poignant as it gets.
The last phrase is my favorite: “Getting a Whopper is always best, but getting a Big Mac is also not such a bad thing.”
It adds a touch of realism while keeping everything in perspective. It says, “Sure, we’d much prefer if you ordered our product, but we’re cool if you pick our competitor.” In other words, if you choose the other guy, it won’t be the end of the world.
With all the press attention Burger King is sure to get from its unusual gesture, it’s easy to be cynical and call it just another brilliant marketing maneuver. Maybe it is. But even then, the underlying idea is just as powerful: We’re living in uniquely painful times that demand uniquely compassionate thinking.
We’re living in uniquely painful times that demand uniquely compassionate thinking.
Maybe it’s divine coincidence that Burger King’s altruistic message showed up on a day when our nation is in a state of ultra-high anxiety, when years of tension and division are climaxing in an epic presidential Judgement Day.
A fast food chain is reminding our country that if our fellow Americans choose whomever we consider the “other guy,” it will be bad, even very bad, but it won’t be the end of the world.
No matter how cutthroat we may appear to be, we’re still in this together.
If Election Day Making You a Nervous Wreck, See This Burger King Ad Promoting McDonald’s
David Suissa
Advertising is a cutthroat business where you fight tooth and nail for every breadcrumb of market share.
For decades, two of the biggest combatants have been McDonald’s and Burger King. It’s the marketing equivalent of UFC. These warriors make the battle between Democrats and Republicans feel like kundelini yoga.
So, what did Burger King in the UK decide to do this week? They ran an ad for McDonald’s.
Under the headline, “Order from McDonald’s,” the company released a short message that is blowing up on the internet.
“We never thought we’d be asking you to do this,” the message starts. “Just like we never thought we’d be encouraging you to order from KFC, Subway, Domino’s Pizza, Pizza Hut, Five Guys, Greggs, Taco Bell, Papa John’s, Leon…or any of the other food outlets, too numerous to mention here.”
I felt my arteries clog up just writing all those names, but that’s not the point. The point is: Why did Burger King do it? Because, the message continues, “restaurants employing thousands of staff really need your support at the moment.”
If we ever needed another reminder of the times we are living in, this is as poignant as it gets: Cutthroat competitors helping each other out.
The last phrase is my favorite: “Getting a Whopper is always best, but getting a Big Mac is also not such a bad thing.”
It adds a touch of realism while keeping everything in perspective. It says, “Sure, we’d much prefer if you ordered our product, but we’re cool if you pick our competitor.” In other words, if you choose the other guy, it won’t be the end of the world.
With all the press attention Burger King is sure to get from its unusual gesture, it’s easy to be cynical and call it just another brilliant marketing maneuver. Maybe it is. But even then, the underlying idea is just as powerful: We’re living in uniquely painful times that demand uniquely compassionate thinking.
Maybe it’s divine coincidence that Burger King’s altruistic message showed up on a day when our nation is in a state of ultra-high anxiety, when years of tension and division are climaxing in an epic presidential Judgement Day.
A fast food chain is reminding our country that if our fellow Americans choose whomever we consider the “other guy,” it will be bad, even very bad, but it won’t be the end of the world.
No matter how cutthroat we may appear to be, we’re still in this together.
Did you enjoy this article?
You'll love our roundtable.
Editor's Picks
Israel and the Internet Wars – A Professional Social Media Review
The Invisible Student: A Tale of Homelessness at UCLA and USC
What Ever Happened to the LA Times?
Who Are the Jews On Joe Biden’s Cabinet?
You’re Not a Bad Jewish Mom If Your Kid Wants Santa Claus to Come to Your House
No Labels: The Group Fighting for the Political Center
Latest Articles
“Netflix is a Joke” Returns to LA with Jewish Acts Galore
The Book and the Sword
In the Desert – A poem for Parsha Bamidbar
A Bisl Torah — Your Time Capsule
Not Wandering in the Wilderness with Bewilderness
A Moment in Time: “Me Time”
Inaugural ‘Core Vital Voices Conference’ for Orthodox Women Who Provide End of Life Care
Chaplains are called to be present. We hold, we witness, we support others in accessing their spiritual resources, and we accompany. We honor the grief, loss, and love by seeing and hearing them when it is unbearable.
Print Issue: The Speech I Won’t Give at Georgetown Law | May 15, 2026
An outcry over my support for Israel in my Jewish Journal columns forced me to withdraw from my commencement address at Georgetown Law School. Here is the speech I was going to give.
Israel’s Noam Bettan Advances to Eurovision Grand Final
This is the fifth time that Israel has qualified for the Eurovision final in the past six years.
The Klezmatics Are Made for These Times
“We Were Made for These Times” is as inventive and joyous an album as I’ve heard in a long time. And the most proudly Jewish.
Motherhood, War and Media: WIZO Luncheon Reflects a Changing Reality Since Oct. 7, 2023
In a sold-out event at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, WIZO (Women’s International Zionist Organization) hosted its annual Mother’s Day Luncheon.
Brian Goldsmith’s Senate Bid Rooted in Fighting Antisemitism in California
He became the first senior adviser to Democratic Majority for Israel PAC, helping elect pro-Israel politicians to Congress and winning more than 80% of races.
AJU’s Ziegler School: Growth and Transformation
The challenge is how we can reinvent rabbinical training so that it’s not clinging to models that no longer work, is sustainable, and addresses the needs of today and tomorrow’s Jewish community.
A Guava Gourmet Cheesecake for Shavuot
Let’s just say, Shavuot gives us a wonderful, guilt-free excuse to indulge in this guava mango cheesecake!
Celebrate National Hamburger Month
While there may be limitations on how to enjoy burgers due to the laws of kashrut, it just means Jews have to get a little more creative.
Table for Five: Bamidbar
Counting Soldiers
Kehillat Israel to Return to Palisades 16 Months After Devastating Fire
It’s not just a momentous occasion for the congregation but is significant for the larger Palisades community as well, as it helps restore a sense of faith that the community will reemerge stronger than ever.
‘Once Upon My Mother’ Brings Roland Perez’s Extraordinary True Story to the Screen
The story centers on Esther Perez (portrayed by Leïla Bekhti), a Moroccan-Jewish immigrant and devoted mother of six. When her newborn son Roland is diagnosed with a clubfoot and given a bleak prognosis, Esther refuses to accept limits placed on his future.
An American Shabbat
When I travel in America, I love being invited to observe Shabbat building bridges – uniting tribes – among Christians.
Synagogues Have Become the New Front Line for Jews in New York
The moment Jewish houses of worship become targets for political intimidation, the line between activism and harassment disappears.
Rosner’s Domain | Remembering the Inimitable Abe Foxman
In the introduction to the book about the U.S. community I wrote about a decade and a half ago, a little story about Foxman appeared, which I thought was appropriate as a farewell to this man and to an era.
The Remnant of Israel and the Meaning of Monticello
America’s third president’s home survived thanks to the efforts of a proud Jew thankful for freedom of religion in the United States.
The End of an Anti-Israel Propaganda NGO – More to Come?
Perhaps this also signals a belated reckoning for other false-flag NGOs claiming to promote human rights. The damage from terror-supporting propaganda will take many years to reverse, but at least further abuse can finally be prevented.
Shavuot: Return to Sinai
Shavuot is that moment in the year where all becomes one – People Israel, Torah, memory and the Divine – a unification begun at Sinai.
A New Jewish College
This idea is not just about fleeing antisemitism, nor proving native loyalty. It is about experiencing life from a different angle than the coasts.
Two Down, One to Go
So now, for my wife and me, it’s time for the mezinka, an Ashkenazi Jewish wedding custom that is observed when parents marry off their last child.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.