It’s been more than 10 years since Mary J. Blige sang about chicken snack wraps for Burger King, and now she’s opening up about what was supposed to have been a playful moment and how it turned into a social media crucifixion.
“I agreed to be part of a fun and creative campaign that was supposed to feature a dream sequence,” Blige said during a recent episode of Scott Evans’ podcast, Guest House, around the 52-minute mark.
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“Unfortunately, that’s not what was happening in that clip.”
Blige notes that the 2012 commercial, which featured Blige singing about the new Burger King product, quickly became a public relations crisis. The commercial was pulled from the air after Burger King claimed there were licensing issues, adding that the ad was released before it received final approval.
Blige pointed out that what aired was not what she signed off on, and noted that she understood why her fans were upset. “I understand my fans being upset by what they saw.”
“Still, understanding the reaction didn’t make the experience easier. As the commercial spread rapidly online and became a trending topic, the criticism intensified. What might have been a short-lived campaign misfire instead became a widely discussed example of how quickly brand messaging can go wrong,” theGrio reports.
During the podcast, Blige described the moment as deeply personal, saying that the social media comments “crushed” her.
“But, if you’re a Mary fan, you have to know I would never allow an unfinished spot like the one you saw go out,” she said.
“My true honest-to-true fans did not think that sh-t was funny,” Blige added. “I was deeply, deeply affected.”
Burger King later apologized for the early release of the ad.
The incident still remains as a cautionary tale of how quickly a branding moment can turn into a campaign crisis. And despite all of this happening more than 10 years ago, Blige is still answering questions around the ad that should’ve never aired without her team’s approval.
See social media’s reaction to Mary J. revisiting the commercial below.
