Burger King’s mascot and rapper Lil Yachty took over the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night with augmented reality appearances.
Because of the coronavirus, the VMAs, which traditionally kick off the extended awards season, were held at outdoor pop-up locations across New York City such as Hudson Yards and the Brooklyn waterfront, as well as in the homes of the stars themselves.
The contributions from Lil Yachty and the King were engineered by Coffee, a digital content and experience agency. MullenLowe partnered with Burger King on the promotion itself.
The duo appeared together on the red carpet and throughout the show. After Lil Yachty performed his song “Top Down,” the King awarded him the Burger Fire Medallion.
Burger King included a consumer promotion in the broadcast. Viewers were encouraged to download the BK app and use it to scan QR codes that appeared on-screen to get discounts, such as a free Whopper with a $1 purchase, and to enter a sweepstakes for a year of free Whoppers and tickets to the 2021 VMAs.
The VMAs have raised the bar for outrageousness over the years, from Kanye West butting in on Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech to Miley Cyrus’ twerking and Lady Gaga’s red carpet gown made of red meat.