The model who posed for this racy little Burger King ad (which only ever ran in Singapore) has just discovered it (after five years!) and is calling for a boycott of Burger King because she claims she did not consent for her image to be used in that way.
The model, who has not been named, says she was not informed that her image would be used in what appears to suggest an oral sex act. Last week she posted a YouTube video under the account RV Wonderspunk, where she explains that Burger King Singapore’s advertising agency bought a stock image from a third party, and that during her photo shoot, she was simply instructed to show a range of emotions.
Notice that she's not suing over this. That's because, as a model, she knows that she doesn't have a leg to stand on; her photos were a "work for hire" and she apparently didn't retain any contractural rights in them at all. The photo was sold as a "stock photo" and it's unlikely that there were any usage strings attached.
Burger King says,
Burger King has responded to the video, saying that the image was a stock photo that one of its independent franchisees purchased the right to use back in 2009.
"Respect for customers and employees is a top priority at Burger King restaurants around the world. This advert was created by an independent franchise in Singapore in conjunction with a local promotional offer. This ad was not released in any other markets."
I find it interesting that nobody ever identified the model in over 5 years since the ad went viral -- even given that there was so much pious uproar over it -- and I can only figure that the model in question is really trying to create buzz because her career is probably in the shitter. Eventually she'll self-identify and the world will flock to her door. Or so she thinks.
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