Burger King stalls £30m pitch as marketing director quits

Burger King has delayed its &£30m pan-European media pitch following the abrupt departure of senior director for global marketing impact, Willie Zamora. It is not thought that he has a job to go to.

Zamora was overseeing the pitch, which started late last year (MW December 1), but this will now be handled by Gillian Smith, senior director of media and interactive.

It is understood that the fast food chain was in the final stage of the pitch, which is between MindShare, Initiative and incumbent Carat. Smith is already thought to have been involved in the pitch but has delayed the decision while she takes over. It is not clear when a decision is expected.

It is also not clear if the changes will affect the chain’s advertising, which was consolidated into Crispin Porter & Bogusky last December. It was previously handled by Delaney Lund Knox Warren in the UK.

Burger King confirmed that Zamora had left the company but declined to comment on the reasons for his departure.

Burger King has been forced to adapt its menu and introduce healthier options, such as salads and baguettes, in line with consumer demand, but in the past year it has continued to launch burgers and core products, such as chicken sandwiches.