Burger King is running a limited edition range of 'moody' meals for Mental Health Awareness Month, in May 2019 Burger King

Burger King this week launched a new mental health awareness campaign complete with mood-themed "Real Meals." While some have applauded the campaign for helping raise awareness around mental illness, others have criticized it for seeming to make light of mental health issues. Timed to Mental Health Awareness Month in May, Burger King's "Real Meals" include the Blue Meal, Salty Meal, Yaaas Meal and DGAF (Don't Give a F---) Meal, and are available only in select restaurants in a few cities. The campaign also includes an video spot on YouTube showing a montage of people in various emotional states, using the line: "No one is happy all the time. And that's OK." The company said it partnered with Mental Health America for the campaign.

The campaign quickly drew criticism from some on social media, who claimed it was downplaying mental illness or attempting to profit off the subject. Others wondered whether Burger King was making resources available for people with mental health issues or making monetary contributions to any organizations. "Mental disorders are not just moods like 'pissed' and 'DGAF,'" one poster Tweeted. "They cause terrible suffering and hundreds of suicides every day. This new campaign of yours is extremely distasteful." Tweet The campaign, done with ad agency MullenLowe, hits on a topic of wide interest and importance in today's culture. But experts say businesses seeking to use a topic like mental health in their marketing need to show it's a genuine, ongoing priority and not just a one-off. Meanwhile, some mental health groups say elevating the conversation around mental health, even if it is through a marketing stunt, can be a good thing.

Raising awareness or making light?

Kevin Wong, head of communications at the Trevor Project, said if Burger King restaurants are elevating the conversation about mental health and increasing discussions around topics like depression and mental health, that may be helpful in shedding light on those topics and destigmatizing them. The organization provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth. "If it takes Burger King doing that in their communities, that's a win," he said. Wong added he doesn't believe marketing has to be serious or boring. "It can be fun and relatable when it makes sense from an impact perspective." Tiffany Huth, director of communications at the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness, agreed this kind of messaging is a way to reach this demographic in a way that's relatable and get the conversation started around these topics. "This is the way they communicate and talk," she said. "You have to speak to people in a way they understand and in a way they feel comfortable and safe, and in a way they can relate to." Asked to respond to the negative feedback on social media, a spokeswoman for Burger King said the company wasn't offering interviews for the campaign and said the chain is donating an undisclosed amount to Mental Health America. MullenLowe referred comment to Burger King.

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