Fast Food Foes Fulminate French Fry Fracas

Few marketing battles are likely to match the one expected between Burger King and McDonald’s Corp. in the next few weeks.

Forget about Big Macs vs. Big Kings.

The war that counts is all about that very American side order - the french fry.

In the biggest attempt ever to overthrow the Michael Jordan of french fries, known simply as McDonald’s fries, Burger King is getting ready to pump more than $1 million in advertising and promotion money to launch its long-awaited, reformulated french fry in early December.

It is likely to be one of Burger King’s largest product launches ever, which sources say includes an ad using everyone’s favorite spud Mr. Potato Head.

A spokeswoman from Burger King, Kim Miller, would only say the chain is “in the process of rolling out new, better-tasting, hotter and crispier french fries.”

Burger King’s new fries, which sources say include a batter-like coating on the spud that makes the fries crispier and hold up longer than its other fries, came out of the company’s own admission a couple of years ago that its current fries just don’t match up.