Burger King Tries to Sell Healthier Image

Burger King overhauled its menu this week and is selling smoothies, wraps, and new salads as part of a push to woo women and families. The makeover comes after Burger King dropped to third place in the fast-food rivalry last year, trailing McDonald's and—for the first time ever—Wendy's, reports the Wall Street Journal. "I think all of the players are looking at ways they can compete more effectively with McDonald's," says an analyst.

Not everybody is wowed:

• Deborah Dunham, BlissTree: "Sounds good in theory, but let’s be honest, who actually goes to a fast food restaurant for a salad? And even if they were healthy (which they’re not), this is really more of a PR move by them instead of a proactive approach to getting Americans to eat better."
• SmartMoney is also a wee bit skeptical about all these fast-food forays into "healthy" options and rounds up four notable flops here.

BK is also kicking off an ad campaign with commercials starring Jay Leno, David Beckham, and Salma Hayek, though one with Mary J Blige did not go over well. (More Burger King stories.)