Pillsbury management tried several times to restructure Burger King in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The most prominent change came in 1978, when Burger King hired McDonald's executive Donald N. Smith to help revamp the company. In a plan called Operation Phoenix, Smith restructured corporate business practices at all levels of the company. Changes included updated franchise agreements, a broader menu, and new, standardized restaurant designs. Smith left Burger King for PepsiCo in 1980, shortly before a system-wide decline in sales. Pillsbury Executive Vice President of Restaurant Operations Norman E. Brinker was tasked with turning the brand around and strengthening its position against its main rival, McDonald's. One of his initiatives was a new advertising campaign featuring a series of attack ads against its major competitors. This campaign started a competitive period between the top burger chains, known as the Burger Wars. Brinker left Burger King in 1984, to take over Dallas-based gourmet burger chain Chili's.