Burger King scrapped its 40-year-old “Have It Your Way” slogan in favor of the more personal “Be Your Way.”
The new tag line rolled across its marketing in the U.S. in a TV ad that began airing Monday night. The line made its first appearance in an online video last month.
Burger King says in a statement that the new motto is intended to remind people that “they can and should live how they want anytime. It’s ok to not be perfect … Self-expression is most important and it’s our differences that make us individuals instead of robots.”
It may seem odd for a fast-food company to champion individuality, but Burger King isn’t the only one trying to project a hip, non-corporate attitude to gain favor with customers. Since 2012, for instance, Taco Bell has been touting its “Live Mas” slogan, which means “live more” in Spanish.
Fernando Machado, Burger King’s senior vice president of global brand management, noted in an interview that “Have It Your Way” focuses only on the purchase — the ability to customize a burger. By contrast, he said “Be Your Way” is about making a connection with a person’s greater lifestyle.
“We want to evolve from just being the functional side of things to having a much stronger emotional appeal,” said Machado, who joined the company in March.
Whether the new tag line can help Burger King’s image over the long term remains to be seen. The company, along with McDonald’s Corp., is fighting to boost sales at a time when people are moving toward foods they feel are fresher or higher quality. And Laura Ries, president of the brand consulting firm Ries & Ries, noted that companies can come across as trying too hard to be cool.
