Burger King's SpongeBob Ad– Too Sexy?

Burger King is trying to “step up their game” and join the the likes of Carl’s Jr. by going with “what works” in their new commercial.   And what works when selling flame broiled all beef patties?  Celebrities and sex!

Burger King has a new commercial featuring SpongeBob SquarePants with a retooling of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s 90′s hit Baby Got Back into SpongeBob’s Got Back. You’ve got the creepy Burger King guy in his mask dancing with hot chicks dressed like SpongeBob complete with tie, shirt, and shorts.  Their butts are boxy.  Much dancing and clips of SpongeBob and the gang ensue.  The remix is less racy than the original with toned down lyrics and far less titillating dancing routines to mesh with the Burger King/ SpongeBob tie-in.

And now the outrage… this time courtesy of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. The group’s director Susan Linn says among other things, that the ad, “sexualizes women” and “what this ad does is have SpongeBob promoting lechery.”   Sweet.

Burger King has responded by back peddling– a bit, I think. They now claim the ad was directed at adults. The ad is, “intended to show that even adults can have fun, laugh and be silly with entertainment genres – such as rap and pop culture icons – that have become part of everyday life.”  That’s all well and good, if it weren’t for the fact that they currently have a SpongeBob tie-in toy with their kids’ meal.

The only part of the commercial I found offensive is the creepy Burger King guy.