Nissan Gives Mascot Mr. K a Rest

Mr. K, the mascot for Nissan Motor USA, is taking a lower profile in the company’s advertising. The Japanese character, portrayed by an actor, doesn’t appear in new commercials for Nissan’s Altima sedan. A Nissan spokeswoman said the company will continue to use Mr. K in commercials plugging the Nissan brand. “We have a lot of equity and name recognition in him,” said spokeswoman Debra Sanchez Fair. She said 2,000 people recently lined up to meet Mr. K and collect a free T-shirt at the Chicago auto show.