Food coma? Marketing frenzy capped by a morbid prize

The fast food business is hugely competitive in Australia. Which leads to some great deals - and some weird ones as well.

Market leader McDonalds bombards customers with special offer emails several times a week. A $4 Big Mac one day; a $6 cheeseburger meal and an extra cheeseburger the next. 

Hungry Jack’s is giving away toys with kid’s meals. 

One of this week's offers from taco emporium Mad Mex is a bit grim. It has a competition offering the chance to own your own burial plot in a cemetery.

In bad taste? Maybe. Attention grabbing? Certainly.

Mad Mex is announcing the return of its infamous 1kg Big Burrito and has partnered with "cult" water brand, Liquid Death to bring customers a combo "that promises to kill their hunger and murder their thirst".

Here is the spiel: "The double-sized burrito come with a free Liquid Death and it also comes with a warning that will scare even the most daring burrito lovers.

"Anyone brave enough to take on the challenge will go in the running to win a grand prize to die for - a foot (and body) in the door of the Australian property market... a place to set up roots... prime real estate in the dead centre of town...

"Yep, your own personal plot of land. In a cemetery."

Mad Mex is also running a less gruesome Buy One Get One Free deal on DoorDash until June 23.

The Big Burrito and Liquid Death combo will be available across Mad Mex stores nationally or via delivery from Uber Eats or the Mad Mex app until July 21. See madmex.com.au/bigburrito.



Less crazy is a new breakfast range (above) being launched by Soul Origin from tomorrow.

To mark the arrival of dishes like the Gourmet Brekkie Bun, a Schnitty Brekkie Bun and a Haloumi and Veggie Brekkie Wrap comes the offer of free coffees to all its loyalty members.

The free caffeine boost is available to all loyalty members from June 17-30 with any item from the new breakfast range.

A voucher will automatically be loaded into loyalty accounts. See https://www.soulorigin.com.au/

A uniquely Australian coffee, or complete bunkum?

Fast food people McDonald's are the masters of self-promotion.

And now the people from Maccas are seeking to grab headlines by launching "a uniquely Australian coffee" at their McCafe outlets.

Launched this week, the new drink is called an Australiano and blends coffee with chai and “native wattleseed” in a product advertised as “coffee fit for an Aussie”.

I call nonsense.

No Australians I know add wattleseed to their coffee. And no real coffee lover would go to McDonald's for their caffeine.

Sounds and smells like a publicity stunt to me.

Here's the blurb: "The ‘Australiano’ is Australia’s answer to the Americano, featuring flavours of Australian wattleseed, chai and McCafe coffee".

An Americano, for those not in the know, is what freedom-loving, gun-toting folk call a coffee "made with hot water and espresso". A long black, in other words.

The Australiano is billed as being for a "limited time" (probably to see if it tanks or not) .

An ad campaign will reportedly run across TV, radio, digital and social mediums.

McDonald’s group brand manager Lancy Huynh said: “Despite being a nation of coffee connoisseurs, we haven’t had a coffee to call our own. As a champion for Aussie coffee culture, McCafé wanted to right this wrong and craft a blend that Aussies can proudly put their name to.”

OK Lancy. Whatever you say.