Burger King dumps King mascot

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The King is dead, but the burger lives on.

Burger King Corp. on Friday said it is retiring "The King" mascot, a man with an oversized plastic head and creepy smile who has been shown in ads peeping into people's windows and popping up in their beds.

The move is an effort by the struggling chain to boost slumping sales by focusing on the freshness of its food rather than the funny-factor of its ads. It's rolling out a new campaign Saturday sans The King to tout fresh ingredients and new products like its California Whopper, which has guacamole.

Burger King long has targeted its ads to male teens who like to chomp its chargrilled burgers and gulp its milkshakes. The economic downturn has battered its core customer -- young males have been hit hard by unemployment -- and Burger King is looking to boost sales by appealing to mothers, families and others that rivals like McDonald's have courted.

Burger King said their mascot may not be gone forever. He may come back in a different form. The company will still carry paper crowns in stores. -- AP