How Burger King’s “Whopper of a Wedding” Became an Earned-Media Classic

Only Burger King could look at a wedding announcement and see a once-in-a-decade brand moment.

Back in 2015, an Illinois couple, Joel Burger and Ashley King, announced their engagement with a playful photo beside a Burger King sign. They wrote to the brand for permission to use the logo on a few favors. BK saw the story picking up steam in the local press and did something bolder: it offered to pay for the entire wedding.

On July 17, 2015, in Jacksonville, Illinois, Mr. Burger married Ms. King on Burger King’s dime. Guests sported paper crowns, the groomsmen flashed BK T-shirts under their suits, cufflinks carried the logo, and gift bags included personalized yo-yos and Mason jars (a cheeky nod to a fifth-grade assembly where a yo-yoing speaker first dubbed them “Burger-King”). Images from the day raced across TV, print, and social.

BK packaged the story as “A Whopper of a Wedding”. The narrative was irresistible: a global fast-food icon delighting a small-town couple whose names matched the brand. Coverage jumped from local papers to national outlets like ABC News, Entrepreneur, and Fortune, creating a tidal wave of earned reach without a single media buy attached to the announcement itself.

Why this worked (and still travels nine years later):

1) It was perfectly on-brand: Burger King’s voice has long skewed cheeky and culture-tuned. Sponsoring the “Burger-King” wedding felt playful, generous, and unmistakably BK, a living version of “Have It Your Way”.

2) It turned a human story into a brand asset: The couple’s names were the hook; BK’s decision was the crescendo. Because the brand was responding to their request (logo permission), the move felt organic, not opportunistic. That authenticity fueled sharing.

3) It engineered iconic visuals: Crowns on the bridal party, hidden logo tees, branded cufflinks, bespoke favors, every detail made for photo editors would actually run. Visuals are the currency of earned media; BK minted plenty.

4) It maximized the news arc: Phase 1: the engagement story goes mildly viral. Phase 2: BK announces it will foot the bill (national pick-up). Phase 3: the wedding day yields fresh imagery and a second wave of coverage. That staggered cadence doubled the story’s lifespan.

It’s the kind of human, witty, and visually irresistible gesture that earns attention far beyond the screen, and keeps resurfacing years later because it still makes people smile. BK didn’t chase virality; it recognized a gift of a story and elevated it.

As a marketer, ask yourself: when your audience hands you a delightful coincidence, are you prepared to turn it into a legacy moment?

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