How Much Does a Facebook Friend Cost? A Whopping 37 Cents

By Molly Galler

January 12th, 2009

Are you truly friends with every person on your Facebook friend list? If you can spare 10 friends, you can cash in those peripheral acquaintances in exchange for Burger King’s newest addition to their menu: the Angry Whopper.

What stands between you and Angry Whopper deliciousness? Just one click of your mouse. A click we like to call, the Whopper Sacrifice.

Simply download the Whopper Sacrifice application, select the “friends” you can live without, and Burger King will ask for your address and mail you a coupon for a free Angry Whopper.

If you’re shy about whom you’ve chosen to eliminate, think again. The good people of Whopper Sacrifice send a notification to your cast off letting him know you’ve traded his friendship for a burger that costs $3.69. That’s right, he has a Facebook worth of 37 cents.

How many people are willing to trade their friends for burgers? According to Jenna Wortham’s recent New York Times article, since the application’s launch in late December, 75,000 Facebook users have taken advantage of the chance to chow down for free.

There is no question as to why the fast food chain wanted to market their newest product on Facebook, but consumers and marketing industry professionals alike are wondering – why such an extreme measure?

Brian Gies, Burger King’s vice president of marketing, said to the New York Times:

“…the company had been eyeing Facebook as a marketing platform but wanted to use it in a way that was somewhat tongue-in-cheek. “Facebook is an amazing way to keep current with your friends, but it’s becoming more of a popularity contest with how many friends you have as the barometer,” said Mr. Gies. “We wanted to be part of its momentum and growth, but in an inverse way.”

The Whopper Sacrifice promotion is capped at 25,000 burgers (translation – 250,000 friendships severed). If you’re feeling hungry, and the new Whopper is the only thing that will do, its time to start making some cuts!

Entry Filed under: Branding & Advertising,Digital Media Relations,Facebook,Marketing,Social Media