Burger King shifts gears

from the Random Pixels business desk...

Miami Herald reports that Burger King has ended their 7-year relationship with the edgy ad agency, Crispin Porter + Bogusky.

It was under Crispin Porter that Burger King brought the King back and turned its focus on the “Super Fan,” a young male customer that tends to be a heavy fast-food user. That strategy helped fuel the brand’s turnaround that began in 2005, but when the economy hit the skids so did Burger King’s performance. The company has attributed the fall to the high unemployment rates of that super fan customer.

As sales went south, frustration grew among Burger King franchisees, who have been calling for a change in the company’s marketing strategy for several years. The end of the relationship with Crispin Porter was viewed as a step in the right direction by many of these franchisees. They blamed the company’s heavy marketing focus on the super fan for driving away other customer groups ranging from women to minorities.

C'mon! No more creepy king ads?



And no more making fun of "chick food?"



Whatever agency BK chooses to replace CP+B, it's a safe bet they won't be reverting to this style: