September is World Literacy Month. According to the World Literacy Foundation, one out of five people in the world can’t read or write—20 percent of the population globally. To raise awareness, the Burger King McLamore Foundation created a campaign that shows the other approximately 80 percent what it feels like to be illiterate.
Literacy and increased access to education are core pillars of the the Burger King McLamore Foundation, which was established in the name of Burger King Restaurants co-founder James McLamore who believed in higher education for all.
To draw attention to the 20 percent rate of illiteracy, Burger King restaurants changed the drive thru menu boards and packaging at one restaurant in the U.S. for one day from English to an illegible gibberish. The brand created a short film and social campaign that showcases the reactions of guests who felt frustrated and powerless when unable to read the menu.
The social campaign will feature Facebook and Instagram posts written in foreign languages that fans can “translate” through Facebook’s auto translation tool to reveal the messaging in English about the power of literacy and education.
The Burger King McLamore Foundation works hand in hand with non-profits TECHO and Room to Read in communities in the United States and globally to support initiatives dedicated to improving literacy.
