Burger King Says New Commercials Won’t Use the King Mascot
Burger King Holdings Inc. will air new commercials that won’t feature its mascot, The King, as the hamburger chain gears its advertisements to appeal more to families.
“Our marketing strategy and marketing approach has changed, and as a part of that, the King will not be used,” Miguel Piedra, a company spokesman, said in a telephone interview today. The television commercials will start this weekend and “will not feature the King,” he said.
Burger King, with more than 12,300 locations worldwide, hired New York-based ad firm McGarryBowen earlier this year to create more family-friendly advertisements. The McGarryBowen commercials airing Aug. 20 will promote the California Whopper sandwich for $4.49.
The hamburger chain introduced the King in 1955 as a kid- friendly cartoon with curled hair and a red robe, according to the company’s website. In 2004, Burger King hired ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky, which created a following with commercials featuring the King as a silent, Renaissance-garbed figure who greets customers in bed with breakfast sandwiches.
3G Capital Inc., based in New York, bought Miami-based Burger King in October for about $3.93 billion, the largest restaurant transaction in 2010, according to Bloomberg data. Revenue in the year ended June 30, 2010, declined 1.4 percent to $2.5 billion while net income fell 6.6 percent to $186.8 million.
To contact the reporter on this story: Leslie Patton in Chicago at lpatton5@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Kevin Orland at korland@bloomberg.net
Burger King Says New Commercials Won’t Use the King Mascot
Ana Ottoni/Bloomberg
Burger King Holdings Inc. will air new commercials that won’t feature its mascot, The King, as the hamburger chain gears its advertisements to appeal more to families.
Burger King Holdings Inc. will air new commercials that won’t feature its mascot, The King, as the hamburger chain gears its advertisements to appeal more to families. Photographer: Ana Ottoni/Bloomberg
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