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 dealcalled 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.Read more: Burger King is giving away Whoppers for 1 centbut you have to go to McDonald's to get themUsually, 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.SEE ALSO:These are some of the weirdest deals and ads in recent fast-food historyJoin the conversation about this storyNOW WATCH: Disney World is getting so expensive that it's pricing out the middle class
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