Burger King upsets actual king with Belgian ad
The king of Belgium is apparently not amused by his appearance in a recent Burger King ad.
The country's royal family contacted the fast food chain this weekend over an online ad that asks people to choose between its mascot and a cartoon image of King Philippe, the BBC reports.
A spokesperson for the family told the network that the company isn't allowed to use the monarch's likeness without their approval.
As of Saturday evening, the ad remained live at the domain whoistheking.be.
Visitors who vote for the real-life king are prompted to reconsider.
"Are you sure? He won't be the one to cook your fries."
The campaign is meant to plug the chain's first-ever store in the country, which will open its doors in late June.
Voting closes shortly beforehand, but it's not clear what exactly Burger King plans to do with the results.
Burger King didn't immediately respond to a request for comment, but a spokesperson told the BBC that the company had not heard anything from the family.
Patrick Kulp is a Business Reporter at Mashable. Patrick covers digital advertising, online retail and the future of work. A graduate of UC Santa Barbara with a degree in political science and economics, he previously worked at the Pacific Coast Business Times.
