A Whopper of a Marketing Ploy

Burger King launches a pop-up art gallery in Wicker Park

Has anyone been to the BK Studio on North Avenue in Wicker Park? Perhaps you've walked past it -- from the outside it looks like just another under-the-radar art space nestled among the high-end fashion boutiques and slick bars in this hipster haven. But take a look inside, and you'll begin to notice some subtle and not-so-subtle clues as to what's what here. Burger King, in an effort to become pop culturally relevant, has leased the space as a "collaboration between Burger King Corporation and cutting-edge artists and designers," as explained on the space's Website.

Huh? What cutting-edge artist and/or designer wants to collaborate with that creepy king guy? That would be a graphic designer, and they would be on the BK payroll. The main component here seems to be custom-made screenprinted T-shirts, created in limited editions by the lineup of artists associated with this project, as well as by you using graphics on the site (the whole "have it your way" campaign coming into focus here). While the tool is cool, most of the images are BK-related (such as crowns, the company logo and, of course, the king himself).

The real draw at BK Studio seems to be the random, rag-tag parties that go down, but we'll have to see for ourselves. Anyone got the king's number?

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