Burger King sent people to McDonald's for 1-cent Whoppers — and it was a massive success for the fast-food chain

Burger King debuted a deal in December that allowed customers to get one-cent Whoppers if they went close to a McDonald's location.
The deal was intended to highlight Burger King's new app, as the discounted Whopper had to be purchased via app.
Surprisingly, the bizarre deal was a success, as roughly four million people downloaded Burger King's app between October and the end of the December.

Burger King announced a bizarre deal in December.

Customers could get a Whopper for just one cent. But, they had to go to McDonald's.

The deal called the "Whopper Detour" was intended to promote Burger King's new app. When the app registered that a customer was within600 feet of a McDonald's location, it unlocked the deal to order a Whopper for one cent.

Usually, a company doesn't direct customers to visit its biggest rival. But, according to executives, the deal was weird enough to work.

Burger King's parent company, Restaurant Brands International, pre-released comparable sales results on Wednesday, along with the announcement of leadership changes within the company.

Burger King's US comparable sales were up 0.8% in the quarter, with executives highlighting the Whopper Detour as a success.

"It was a fun promotion that drove a lot of downloads and also allowed us to focus on our flame-grilling heritage," Jose Cil, RBI's newly-appointed CEO, said on a call with investors on Wednesday.

According to executives, more than 6 million people have now downloaded the Burger King app, a significant increase from even a few months earlier. In October, executives said that just 2 million people had downloaded the app.

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Burger King sent people to McDonald's for 1-cent Whoppers — and it was a massive success for the fast-food chain

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