Eau de Whopper? Burger King Japan Offers Limited Edition Perfume

Move over, Calvin Klein — Burger King just changed the fragrance game. According to Kotaku, Burger King announced the upcoming arrival of the brand’s limited edition perfume, entitled “Flame Broiled.” Scheduled for an exclusive Japan release on April 1, the fragrance is reportedly not a joke and customers can expect to be able to purchase the perfume beginning at 10:00 a.m.

Reportedly dubbed “Whopper Day” in Japan, April 1 is one of the country’s unofficial holidays, which was registered with the Japan Anniversary Association by Burger King. The fragrance will be sold for 5,000 yen and come with a complimentary Whopper. Some speculate Burger King is advertising the perfume to increase potential sales of its Whopper Pass, a new month-long pass offering Whopper meals to customers at a reduced rate of, coincidentally, 5,000 yen.

As the Inquisitr recently reported, Burger King has been the recipient of both good and bad press thus far in 2015. In the United States, Burger King made headlines for having stores closed due to rodent droppings, being the site of a fatal stabbing, and offering ridiculously cheap $1.49 nuggets in competition with McDonald’s. The fast food chain’s shift to healthy drink options for children also received some attention, but the perfume is the weirdest announcement this year.

Back in 2008, Burger King launched a similar campaign in the U.S. with the release of “Flame by BK,” a fragrance that professed to embody both seduction and grilled meat, according to TechCrunch. Shortly after its release, Burger King’s fragrance marketing campaign fell under the scrutiny of PETA activists who didn’t share the same appreciation for meat-scented perfume. In retaliation, PETA released “GORE: Eau de Mort,” which replaced Burger King’s scent with the stench of rotting flesh, Planet Save reported.

Despite PETA’s attempts to thwart Burger King’s fragrance, the fast food chain stands to gain more attention than it already has this year, and Japanese customers are already excited about the upcoming promotion. The company’s fiercest rival, McDonald’s, continues to struggle with declining sales despite its recent “Share the Love” campaign held in February.

In a company press release, McDonald’s reported a sales slump of 1.7 percent last month, which was a much more significant loss than the 0.3 percent previously projected. Comparatively, Burger King’s domestic and international marketing departments seem to win the war of creativity. In addition to perfume and the Whopper Pass, perks enjoyed by loyal Burger King customers in Japan include exclusive menu items, like the black Kuro Burger.