Give me my way, get rid of the Burger King

Ok, subservient chicken was ground breaking. I enjoyed Hootie singing quirky toons. Even the chicken band Coq Roq was kinda interesting. And of course, the Whopperettes were a whole lot of retro-fun. But the latest Burger King online campaign is making me think they lost it.

Burger King and their ad agency Crispin Porter seem to be moving the King into the territory already occupied by Carl's Jr (Hardees for you East Coasters), that is, using sex to sell burgers.

Correct me if I'm insinuating something I shouldn't, but they are changing the "Wake up with the King" campaign to mean something entirely different than having an egg and bacon sandwich. On that site you can find blatantly prurient images and not so subtle pics of the King in hotel rooms with empty and not so empty beds. C'mon, are you kidding me?

I have no problem with a brand like BK going quirky but to go down the route of beer ads hints at desperation. I expect this type of behavior from a second tier company, like Del Taco or the aforementioned Carl's Jr. Very little on that site has to do with burgers. This tactic, like caffeine, may give you a temporary boost, but in the end, you pay for it. Maybe I'm being too harsh but I doubt the brand manager knew how much of a world-class brand's equity he/she is squandering.

If this is where BK is heading, I'll take my burger sans onions and the King.