Michel Gondry directs Burger King advert about cow farts, starring that Walmart yodelling kid

Michel Gondry is master of the bizarre, but even this took us by surprise. The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind director’s latest project is an advert for Burger King called Cows Menu, promoting the fast food chain’s Reduced Methane Whopper, and it’s a rootin’ tootin’ singalong starring that kid who went viral yodelling in Walmart. Mason Ramsey (the 11-year-old yodeller) leads a cast of kids in a catchy musical number filmed using live action with some stop motion, amidst a multi-layered, transforming set, featuring cows farting cotton wool clouds, diamante gas masks and lemongrass hats – needless to say it’s not to be missed.

The campaign by agency We Believers with the Partizan director is focused on Burger King’s latest initiative to combat greenhouse gasses. “Since we are part of the problem, we are working to be part of the solution,” the tagline reads, addressing the fact that livestock accounts for 15 per cent of global greenhouse emissions. The advert’s country-style soundtrack explains further, that the Reduced Methane Whopper has been developed by feeding the cows a new diet including lemongrass, which means their cows excrete 33 per cent less methane.

Gondry has brought his experience to adverts for the likes of Hewlett-Packard (which featured another feat of set-building) and his iconic Drugstore ad for Levi’s, as well as music videos for The White Stripes and Daft Punk, along with a big helping of his signature surrealism to the ad. Drawing from country music tropes, from Mason’s white suit and line dancing backing dancers to the country fair full of cowboy hats – and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it burger-coaster – it’s fun and slightly unbelievable enough to make you pay attention, and isn’t that what makes a successful ad? We’ll let you decide.