• by Erik Sass , Staff Writer, February 23, 2016

Long known for its marketing stunts, Burger King is taking a high profile approach to the launch of its newest menu item, Grilled Dogs. The fast-food chain bought full-page cover ads wrapping the front pages of big metropolitan dailies nationwide to announce the 100% beef wiener’s debut on February 23.

The ad features Burger King’s well-known if rather creepy plastic-faced royal avatar alongside a “headline” fairly dripping with innuendo: “The King’s Got a Whopper… and we’re not talking about burgers.” (Get it? Because hot dogs are shaped like… oh, never mind).

The ad is appearing on the fake front pages of newspapers including the New York Post and New York Daily News, the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner and Chicago RedEye, among others. The newspapers’ real covers are still accessible underneath the wrap, which advises readers to turn the page.

The Burger King campaign for Grilled Dogs also features some online tie-ins, including a “training video” starring rapper and fast food fan Snoop Dogg as “Grilled Dogg Training Ambassador,” which has already attracted over 1.7 million views on YouTube.

According to Ad Age, the campaign was created and executed by agencies including Horizon, Code and Theory, and Alison Brod Public Relations. Burger King didn’t disclose how much the full-page cover wraps cost.

The new Grilled Dogs, created by Burger King in collaboration with Oscar Mayer, include options such as the “Classic Grilled Dog” for $1.99, with a combo meal costing $4.49, and a Chili Cheese Grilled Dog for $2.39, or a combo meal for $4.89.

Burger King claims that Americans eat about 20 billion hot dogs a year.