December 19 2006
Burger Fuel Promotion Blows
posted by Ana Samways at 5:21 pm
Trying to snort up a bit of Hell Pizza-style publicity, indie fast-food-flogger Burger Fuel has gone for a cocaine theme.
The deal offers 330 “grams of coke” (Cola that is) in their White Christmas Combo promotion to win a trip “anywhere in South America”. Geddit? Geddit? If that was too subtle there’s a rolled up US$100 bill dipped in some white powder and a picture of a drug terrorist, the late Pablo Escobar.
But who cares if we think it’s a bit try-hard? What does the ad industry say? One ad wanker we spoke to said:
“Burger Fuel are up against some big brands with big budget, and have to get noticed somehow.”
Another grappled with the concept:
“WTF has cocaine got to do with Christmas? Oh of course — “white”. Yes we have a lot of white Christmases in NZ. And after doing a line I really feel like a burger. Really edgy, funky, down with the youth.”
Another has a warning:
“A colleague has just mentioned the presence of a bottle of Coke in the pack shot — Burger Fuel can expect their fridges to be forcibly emptied and never refilled.”
Some junkie said:
“…the coke here is crap/20% real if you’re lucky/glucose/mannitol/lactose/ground glass/p/not coke at all really is it anyway. Oh and I prefer needles, it’s far more pleasurable… Maybe they should think of one along the lines of ‘junk food’… Then again, us junkies don’t need food.”
Here’s the viral.
Looks like the ploy has worked, the Advertising Standards Authority says it has received a complaint. Maybe an Ipswich Ripper promo for the New Year?
December 19th, 2006 at 9:57 pm
Well, Burger Fuel originated in the Orkland CBD, which is a Class A area. Contrast this with out West, East To Waiheke, North to the Shore or South in Manukau, where the day is usually brought to you by the Class C.
One of my happy campers reckons he got gastroenteritis from BF Wellington. This guy does have a plastic tube in his brain, so who knows.
December 20th, 2006 at 7:59 am
I was needing a new source for new years..
December 20th, 2006 at 9:38 am
Captain Carson up to his old tricks again.
December 20th, 2006 at 9:45 am
Now, there is a sample of kiwi ingenuity “Money Laundry through a burguer bar”…………Nooooot
been done in the States before.
December 20th, 2006 at 2:05 pm
For some the drug trade isn’t a movie, or a cheap laugh. This reader emailed me to express his disapproval of Burger Fuel’s campaign, but not on the grounds of bad ad execution.
He writes: “I am South American, Colombian to be more precise. One of the few who have made New Zealand home. And I have my personal story even though I am not a refugee, like many here I am running away from the drug cartels, paramilitary or guerrillas.
I have personal reasons for dislike the glamorising of cocaine in this way. I lost a 42 year-old brother, father of 2, because he stepped into somebody’s toes, while doing his job, Dec 5th 2003 in my hometown, 4 bullets to his head; a week later the hitman (only 19 years-old) was found killed, sad because he was father too.”
He also makes the following points:
There are also environmental effects. Native bush is replaced illegally by a monoculture of coca plants endangering biodiversity. And the chemicals used in the processing of coca leaves to produce cocaine
make their way into water ways.
Native South Americans (ethnic minorities) are constantly under pressure from illegal groups who profit from the cocaine industry. Many kids, as young as 11 years-old, end up entangled in the “hitman industry”.
It’s not just about the locals, a highly recurrent police incident in the main tourist destinations of South America is tourists, mostly Europeans, being pronounced dead in hotel rooms, cause of death OD.
Colombian Law says you are committing a crime by encouraging people to buy drugs. In Columbia, the author of an ad like BurgerFuel’s could be prosecuted under that law and imprisoned.
December 20th, 2006 at 3:35 pm
All that aside……is the burger in the combo a turkey one?
If so……who in the heck would want to eat a turkey burger????
December 20th, 2006 at 3:57 pm
tis a chook burger
December 21st, 2006 at 3:08 am
I like to think that the creative team (person?) behind this ad has never used cocaine, but knows this one guy who once did it and, like, has seen that movie about cocaine and stuff.
December 21st, 2006 at 7:43 am
It might have been funnier if they had made it a lil more subtle. How about a rolled-up one or a ten instead of the obvi 50? A little snow falling from the sky? The cola-obscuring lettuce is a nice touch, though.
December 21st, 2006 at 9:18 am
yeah, flashing a US$ 50 or a US$ 100 in a planet where 60 % live n less than that amount is very funny. I knew someone who sold his sister for US$ 2 to a pimp
December 23rd, 2006 at 3:00 am
[...] When I came across New Zealand restaurant Burger Fuel’s not-so-subliminal, cocaine-flaunting advertising via AdRants via Spare Room, I found myself much more drawn to their menu than to their in-your-face (in-your-nose?) advertising stunt. White Christmas {*wink, wink*}, 330 grams of coke {*nudge, nudge*}, rolled up dollar bills {*get it, get it*}. Forget all that. Who cares! [...]
February 18th, 2007 at 11:07 am
YEah…lets forget about all the damage cocaine causes…..Lets use hitlers image to promo weightloss clinic. Lets be one more junkhead and lets be marry who cares about natural or social enviroment as long as there is fries n aioli