Burger King Ad Threatens to Renew Debate Over Voice Devices
- New 15-second spot prompts Google Home to define Whopper
- Amazon’s Alexa has drawn concerns about accidental orders
This article is for subscribers only.
A new Burger King TV commercial is designed to trigger Google’s voice-controlled speakers in viewers’ homes, adding a wrinkle to the debate over whether such devices have become too invasive.
In the 15-second ad, a Burger King employee says, “OK, Google. What is the Whopper burger?” If viewers are watching the commercial near a Google Home gadget, the “OK, Google” prompt will cause the device to read the Wikipedia entry for the sandwich. The TV spots are airing nationally starting Wednesday on networks such as Spike, MTV and Comedy Central.