On the Lighter Side: Windows 7 Whopper: 7 Paties of Cardiac bluescreen

November, 2009

McDonald's took plenty of flak years ago for its super-size meals. But Microsoft's strategy for building buzz in Japan gives new meaning to the term. Beginning on Oct. 22, to mark the launch of its Windows 7 in Japan, Microsoft has teamed up with Burger King on a limited-offer burger: the Windows 7 Whopper.

The seven-patty burger weighs more than 791 grams (1.4 lb.) and stands about 12.7 centimeters (5 inches) tall. At 2,120 calories, it's more than just a quick snack, easily exceeding the 2,000-calorie daily diet recommended by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. The promotion was originally supposed to last seven days, but it's been such a hit that the fast-food chain has extended it for nine more days. "We were surprised that it's been so popular," says Burger King's spokeswoman Nozomi Nagumo.

Microsoft, based in Redmond, Wash., approached Burger King's Japan unit to explore a tie-in that would coincide with the Windows 7 release. The idea was to reach out to a non-techie audience that might not be aware that Microsoft had revamped its operating software, Microsoft spokesman Masaki Iida says. For Burger King, which reopened in Japan in mid-2007 after a temporary pullout, this was a chance to piggyback on Microsoft's brand. The food chain chain says the special Whopper is the biggest burger it has ever marketed. Neither company would reveal the cost of the campaign.

The campaign has come in for scathing ridicule from some techies (many of whom don't cut Microsoft much slack under the best of circumstances). Critics contend that the 7-paddy, 2,120-calorie monster is an apt symbol of past bloated Windows products. "It blows my mind that some marketing guru would think that slapping the Windows 7 name onto a seven patty burger would improve the Windows image," wrote Matt Burns, on tech blog Crunch Gear. "It's a tower of cardiac arrest."

Courtesy of Business Week