The fast-food giant launched a campaign in Spain advertising its veggie burger, The Big King Vegetable. The campaign used the phrase “Take all of you and eat of it” before noting that the product “doesn’t have meat” and is “100% vegetarian” with “100% flavor.” The ads ran during Holy Week.
Other advertisements employed the use of the phrase “The Flesh of My Flesh,” with the word “flesh” crossed out and replaced with the word “vegetable.” Although it is headquartered in the United States, Burger King has over 200 restaurants in Spain.
The ad includes the phrase used by Roman Catholic priests at mass during the eucharistic prayer when the celebrant consecrates the Eucharist. The priest repeats the words Jesus said at the Last Supper shortly before his death, where he instituted the Eucharist: “Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my body, which will be given up for you.”
The ad appeared at bus stops throughout Spain and resulted in significant pushback as Spain’s population is nearly 60% Roman Catholic.
Bishop Jose Munilla of the Roman Catholic Diocese tweeted “Apparently, the loss of culinary taste and the lack of respect for religious sentiments go hand in hand.” A picture of one of Burger King’s ads accompanied Munilla’s tweet.