Pat O’Toole, a former chief marketing officer for PepsiCo’s Mtn Dew brand, has been named the new CMO of Burger King U.S. and Canada.

O’Toole’s appointment is effective Feb. 6. He will be accountable for leading marketing including growing traffic, accelerating sales growth and improving the guest experience in support of the brand’s $400 million “Reclaim the Flame” initiative, announced in September.

Burger King U.S. and Canada had been without a permanent CMO since Ellie Doty departed in November of 2021. Yosef Hojchman had been serving as interim CMO but he left this month to take the CMO role at Firehouse Subs. Both brands are owned by Restaurant Brands International.

“Pat joins us at a milestone moment for the brand, and brings the right combination of perspective, experience and expertise to position BK for success in 2023 and beyond,” stated Tom Curtis, president of Burger King North America. “We have an incredible plan that has been built with and endorsed by our franchisees. Pat is joining this team to strengthen and build on our existing plans in collaboration with our franchisees, leveraging his impressive background and past experiences.”

O’Toole spent 14 years at PepsiCo, and prior to that held roles at General Electric and Black & Decker. He was named Mtn Dew’s CMO last March following a role as VP for Mtn Dew and flavors. He has held a variety of marketing roles at PepsiCo including international assignments and as director of marketing for Doritos and Cheetos in the U.S.

Burger King’s “Reclaim the Flame” envisions $120 million in additional ad spending this year and next as the burger chain looks to reinvigorate franchisees and make up ground lost to competitors including McDonald's and Wendy’s in recent years.

The plan is built on a return to longtime strengths like flame-grilling and “Have It Your Way,” which have shown up in new advertising by Burger King's new creative ad agency, OKRP.

The brand overhaul also calls for modernizing restaurants and technology, including its Royal Perks loyalty program.

O'Toole's first order of business might be switching his beverage allegiance: Burger King serves Coke, not Pepsi.