( CNN ) -- If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery , then fast food giant Burger King is paying its longtime industry rival a royal compliment . In a new television commercial , Burger King 's mascot , a slightly sinister king with an outsized , motionless plastic head , breaks into the headquarters of McDonald 's and steals the recipe to their Sausage McMuffin with egg and cheese . The advertisement is a parody of super agent derring-do , with high-tech gadgets and a swift getaway . But it 's also a sly wink at Burger King 's new BK Breakfast Muffin Sandwich 's undeniable resemblance to the classic Sausage McMuffin . But are McDonald 's executives upset with this campaign ? Have lawyers been rallied and accusatory calls been made ? `` We have n't received any direct feedback from competitors , '' said Brian Gries , Burger King 's vice president of marketing impact . Gries further defends his company 's choice to be up-front about the similarities between the BK Breakfast Muffin and the McMuffin , saying , `` We are not above taking a product that we know customers like and delivering it to our guests at a great price . '' In fact , many others in the fast food arena are n't averse to this , either . For instance , both the BK Breakfast Muffin and the Egg McMuffin are part of special breakfast `` dollar menus . '' But , as Gries points out , `` we were the first to launch a national breakfast value menu , and now you see that becoming an industry norm . '' But it 's a `` norm '' that is rarely acknowledged . When asked about Burger King 's campaign admitting to `` stealing '' the Sausage McMuffin , a McDonald 's representative said , `` We remain focused on our business and serving our business . '' The proof , however , is on the record . Even if Burger King had n't publicly admitted `` burglarizing '' McDonald 's , the McMuffin arrived to market first . The original Egg McMuffin was conceived in 1972 . Fortunately for competitors , McDonald 's does n't own the rights to eggs , sausage , cheese or English muffins . Just the powerful brand-name `` McMuffin . '' But even `` the House That Ronald Built '' is n't above finding inspiration in the products of other fast food innovators . In 2008 , McDonald 's faced criticism for launching its Southern-Style Chicken Sandwich , which featured a fried chicken cutlet on a buttered bun with two pickles . To fast food connoisseurs , it appeared nearly identical to the chicken sandwich that made Georgia-based Chik-fil-A famous . These allegations were disputed by McDonald 's . And this is n't the first time Burger King has created a product that mirrored its longtime rival . The Big Mac is McDonald 's signature burger : two all-beef patties , special sauce , lettuce , cheese , pickles , onions , served on a sesame seed bun . But in 1997 , Burger King released the Big King , which was two all-beef patties , special sauce , lettuce , cheese , pickles , onions , served on a sesame seed bun . The difference between the Big Mac and the Big King ? It was n't the `` special sauce , '' a variation on Thousand Island dressing . It was the beef patties : Burger King `` flame-broils , '' but McDonald 's `` grill fries . '' The Big King was discontinued in 2003 .
Some food products are so polite that the public may not notice . But Burger King commercialized its copying of McDonald 's Sausage McMuffin . Burger King claims : No direct feedback from competitors . In 2007 , McDonald 's introduced chicken sandwiches similar to Chik - fil - A 's .