Burger King’s attempt at inducing nightmares with its latest menu item may have gone a bit too far. The fast-food chain debuted an ad for its Nightmare King Burger on Tuesday, October 16, and it certainly shows the brand is more than ready for Halloween.
In the ad, BK says it has partnered with the Sleep and Neuro Center in Florida to conduct a scientific study of 100 participants over 10 nights. Each participant was asked to eat an entire Nightmare King Burger before going to sleep, and the quality of their sleep was then monitored by an array of researchers and machines.
After eating the new burger – which consists of a quarter-pound of beef, a crispy chicken fillet, melted American cheese, thick-cut bacon, mayonnaise and onions on a glazed green sesame seed bun – scientists at the Sleep and Neuro Center claim the results showed the incidence of nightmares increased by 3.5 times.
“I remember hearing voices and people walking around talking. When I would wake up I’d think I didn’t hear the voices,” one participant claimed. Added another: “Someone in my dream turned into the burger. The burger then transformed into the figure of a snake.”
And though it’s doubtful the burger is actually capable of negatively impacting one’s sleep, many social media users are downright spooked by the food item, particularly its bright green bun, which multiple people compared to the patties served on Spongebob Squarepants.
Others suggested the “nightmare” aspect of this sandwich referred to the havoc it would wreak on one’s digestive system. As one Twitter user put it, “I suspect the real nightmare comes several hours after eating this burger + chicken filet + cheese + bacon + green bun.”
Check out some additional reactions to the Nightmare King Burger below:
the Nightmare King makes me want to throw up in my mouth. A green bun is disgusting.
— Brad James (@BradfatherSpeak) October 18, 2018
Y’all know I love food, right? I’m not sure how I feel about this green Burger King sandwich…https://t.co/5nocDBP76e
— Weñdy Adams (@wendyradio) October 18, 2018
The bun is green! Is it drowned in nyquil like sleepy time chicken? Is that the source of the nightmares? pic.twitter.com/lTUSMC1eTS
— David O’Keefe (@DaveScribbles) October 17, 2018
Burger King is getting one step closer to Pretty Patties pic.twitter.com/P5Xxl16FtX
— Pixel Boo 👻 (@Nitomatta) October 17, 2018
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to Burger King. The Nightmare King… Coming soon to my belly… pic.twitter.com/Nso4ZxfEEV
— RKOLemonJack (@RKOLemonJack) October 17, 2018
Did…. Did Burger King steal the formula for the Nasty Patty?!?! pic.twitter.com/cqTRcEUbr0
— 🎃Spooky Roscoe👻 (@RenandStimpySon) October 18, 2018
Aaaand now I need to go back and get the Nightmare King burger, fantastic pic.twitter.com/3dOYn0qR4z
— James make vidoe gam (@JamesPopStar) October 17, 2018
The Nightmare King Burger will be available at participating Burger Kings beginning on Monday, October 22, for a limited time.