THE NEIGHBORHOOD ARCHIVE - All Things Mister Rogers | ||
Mr. Rodney (Burger King)In the spring of 1984, a commercial campaign was lauched by fast-food chain Burger King which featured a very familiar character. Dressed in a sweater and sneakers, "Mister Rodney" displayed a flashcard to viewers showing the word "McFrying." Going on to explain that this is what McDonalds does to their burgers, Mister Rodney was clearly more in favor of Burger King's flame-broiled option. Taking issue with the parody, Fred Rogers contacted the Senior Vice President of Burger King, Don Dempsey, who agreed to pull the advertisement. "To have someone who looks like me doing a commercial is very confusing for children," Fred Rogers said at the time. Mr. Dempsey pulled the commercial without question: "Mister Rogers is one guy you don't want to mess with, as beloved as he is. So that particular commerical goes on the shelf. Hopefully now we have peace in the neighborhood." The $150,000 commercial aired only a few dozen times before being removed from the airwaves.
From long-time Neighborhood director, Paul Lally:
For more about the Mister Rodney commercial, visit the following links:
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