Burger King has appointed Patrick (Pat) O'Toole as chief marketing officer in the U.S. and Canada beginning Feb. 6, according to a press release. Most recently CMO of PepsiCo's Mountain Dew brand, O'Toole will be responsible for leading marketing efforts that help grow traffic, accelerate sales growth and amplify the chain's ongoing improvements to the guest experience, per the release.
“Pat joins us at a milestone moment for the brand, and brings the right combination of perspective, experience and expertise to position BK for success in 2023 and beyond," said Tom Curtis, president of Burger King North America, in a statement.
Key to Burger King's plans and O'Toole's new position will be supporting the brand's Reclaim the Flame plan, a $400 million marketing and remodeling overhaul initiative that was announced in September. As part of a marketing program called Fuel the Flame, Burger King planned to allocate $120 million for advertising and $30 million to support the brand’s app and digital sales channels. Reclaim the Flame is supported by more than 96% of the chain's franchisees nationwide, per the release.
Burger King in October launched a new brand positioning and campaign, called “You Rule,” that recentered the brand around its classic “Have it Your Way” messaging but with an added individuality spin. It was created in partnership with the chain’s creative agency of record for the U.S., OKRP, an appointment made in April after a year of tumult in its marketing ranks and agency relationships.
O'Toole joins Burger King after 14 years at PepsiCo. Prior to his nearly yearlong stint as CMO at Mountain Dew, the executive served in a variety of roles for the CPG giant. Before that, he worked in sales and marketing at General Electric.
