Burger King in Brazil has introduced a novel marketing strategy, the “Hangover Whopper,” which utilizes facial recognition technology to offer discounts based on customers' hangover appearances. This campaign, running until January 2nd, is part of the festive celebrations between Christmas and New Year's.
Customers can participate by presenting their possibly hungover faces to a camera through the company's mobile app or a dedicated website. This is reported by Gizmodo.
The face-scanning software then assesses the level of hangover and offers a corresponding discount. For instance, when tested by a Gizmodo writer, the software suggested a Double Whopper Jr. and provided a small discount, despite the writer's claim of a significant headache.
This use of facial recognition technology by Burger King raises questions about privacy and the effectiveness of such technology. While the company assures that the photos won't be used for advertising or shared with third parties, the technology's accuracy and ethical implications are under scrutiny.
The Hangover Whopper's privacy policy even describes the system as a “fictitious assessment of the level of your hangover,” suggesting it might not be measuring anything concrete.
Burger King has not disclosed the size of the discounts one can receive based on their hangover, but the journalist at Gizmodo received a discount coupon equivalent to $0.62 when testing his hangover-stricken face.
