Though dozens of inflatable SpongeBob SquarePants have recently been stolen from Burger King locations nationwide, the company says it’s no publicity stunt.
“We’re very surprised by this,” said Eric Anderson of New York-based Coltrin & Associates, the p.r. AOR for Burger King. “Nothing in our experience [with the use of inflatables] could have prepared us for this.”
Anderson said the QSR’s first inflatable promotion was this past summer, with the release of Shreck 2. Of the 2,000 characters placed on Burger King rooftops, less than five were stolen.
Inflatable SpongeBobs were placed on 4,704 rooftops to promote The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie and the QSR’s SpongeBob Kids Meals and the sale of promotional character watches. Though Anderson did not have an accurate number of thefts, he said they have been swiped from rooftops in 13 states.
The inflatables are nine feet tall, and weigh about 50 pounds. According to published reports, franchisees have reported the thefts to police. An arrest was made in Vermilion, OH, where police found one under a 20-year-old man’s bed.
“There’s something strangely compelling about a nine-foot sponge,” Anderson said. “The iconic nature of SpongeBob is being validated right before our eyes.”
The QSR said last week that it would reward a year’s supply of Original Whoppers for information leading to the safe return of the inflatables. The reward applies only to previously-stolen inflatables.
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