Grill’d Burgers asked us to deliver an Australia Day stunt that supported their ‘rebel without a cause’ ethos and re-injected a playful tone to the brand’s voice. At the same time, we wanted to maintain their position as a food provedore with a premium offering. The stunt aimed to cause a bit of controversy to drive mass editorial coverage, and elevate the brand’s positioning above that of their big-spending, multinational competitors.

A week before Australia Day, January 26, we launched the Coat of Arms burger, an edible representation of the nation’s most important emblem. The burger was crafted from a lean kangaroo and emu pattie and other uniquely Australian ingredients. We placed a media exclusive with News Ltd to drive initial conversation around the burger, which was available for a two-week sales period in selected restaurants nationwide.

The burger sparked a national debate. Patriotic organisations objected to Grill’d using Australia’s national animals in a burger, but it won universal acclaim from consumers and food journalists. Key to the success of the campaign was the leveraging of a letter of complaint from the Australian Monarchist League, which we used to promote further debate and conversation.

The stunt generated 126 pieces of quality editorial coverage, reaching over 15.4 million Australians. A total of 35 social media posts from media reached a further 718,000 consumers, with social mentions of Grill’d up 470% in the two-week sales period.

A media exclusive with News Ltd was placed a week out from Australia Day to drive initial conversation around the burger. A Sydney photo call, comprising a bespoke Grill’d coat of arms flanked by a real kangaroo and stuffed emu, allowed us to gather video and image content for seeding to media.

On the same day, we hosted consumer and food media at lunches around the country, so they could test the burger out for themselves.

The burger was available in limited numbers at selected stores nationwide, and went on sale as media attention began gathering pace.

An unexpected but fortuitous deviation during the execution came in the form of a cease and desist letter from the Australian Monarchist League, who objected to the burger’s contents. Rather than bow down to the detractors, we leveraged the letter and used it as a platform to promote further debate and conversation.

We met and exceeded all of the campaign’s objectives as outlined in the brief.

The burger generated a large amount of controversy, particularly from animal rights groups and monarchists, but conversely garnered 100% positive reviews from media and consumers, and praise from foodies who identified it as a quality burger using premium ingredients.

The stunt generated 126 pieces of branded editorial coverage that reached over 15.4 million Australians. A total of 35 social posts from media reached a further 718,000 consumers, and during the campaign social mentions of Grill’d were up 470%.

Sales increased by 11% versus the same period in 2012.