Burger King Dumps King Mascot, Emphasizes Healthy Food

The fast-food hamburger company got rid of its long-time mascot in its newest lines of commercials to focus on its new California Whopper, which includes fresh guacamole. The California Whopper has about 580 calories, compared with the regular whopper which has 670 calories.

Burger King is hoping healthier food options like the California Whopper can help the company rev up its slumping sales growth and  help it catch up to main competitor McDonald's, which jumped on the health food train on the early side and has seen a lot of success.

In its most recent quarter, Burger King said that same-store sales growth was down 6 percent, while its main competition McDonald's saw 3 percent positive growth as more consumers seek healthier options from fast-food restaurants.

The Burger King commercial, USA Today reports, shows the washing of fresh fruits and vegetables with only music -- no one speaks during the commercial.

Call it the Whole Foods effect, said Ron Paul, president of consulting firm Technomic, to USA Today.

Burger King emphasized good pricing and to Have it Your Way, but realizes it needs to change its approach to attract more customers.

We're reigniting the latent feeling that people have about Burger King, says Gordon Bowen, chief creative officer at McGarryBowen.

There was a time when price value was king, said Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys. Now, healthy choice and quality drive the category.

As for the King, who was known for spawning weird King masks and football oriented commercials, he's stepping down from his throne.

There are no plans to bring the King back anytime soon, said Alex Machedo, Burger King senior vice president of marketing.