Rolling through my regular Holstein Park stomping grounds last weekend with an all-terrain jogging stroller, I met up with a new vendor in the Bucktown neighborhood. The vendor was not actually selling anything, but giving away samples of Burger King’s new Fresh Apple Fries, which are in fact, not a fried item at all, but are, in fact, slices of apple in a fry-type cardboard carrier. The “healthy” alternative to fries comes with some intense caramel dipping sauce—the chilled fries tasted more like a dessert item than an after-school snack.

The nice guy with the BK cart told me that the campaign was hitting many of Chicago’s parks in an effort to turn parents and young people on to the new product and “give back” to the community. All of which had me wondering, how much does BK pay for the privilege of executing its plan (or its so-called “bad boy” advertising agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky’s plan) to get apple sticks in our kiddie’s hands? And secondly, where were the “real” vendors on that gorgeous Saturday afternoon? There were none in sight. Oh, and thirdly, is BK applying the same apple slice vendor experience in other markets, like say Boulder, CO where Crispin’s new offices are? Or is Chicago particularly ripe for healthier fast-food marketing?