Gourmet Burger backlash: Restaurant ads make vegetarians’ blood boil
An upmarket burger chain will scrap posters from its latest advertising campaign in the UK after an apparent attempt to turn vegetarians over to meat was met with a wave of anger.
Posters pasted up by restaurant group Gourmet Burger Kitchen at London tube stations display messages telling non-meat eaters that “resistance is futile” and “You’ll always remember when you gave up being a vegetarian.”
Shocking ad by Gourmet Burger Kitchen #vegan#notfunnypic.twitter.com/1KdFx4oK7Y
— nigel Ⓥ (@nigel4036) January 15, 2016
One advert depicts a cow sitting below the ominous caption: “They eat grass so you don’t have to.”
Gourmet Burger Kitchen has more than 60 outlets across the UK and does serve some veggie options.
But the chain’s supposedly light-hearted campaign has been largely trashed online. In fact, vegetarians aren’t digesting it well at all.
#vegetarianism is not a trend that you give up for a crappy burger @gbkburgerspic.twitter.com/Ej98PSG25A
— Rebecca (@RebeccaPari) January 15, 2016
@gbkburgers Loved GBK but apparently we're not welcome #vegetarian#vegan#resistanceisfutile#ieatgrasswiththempic.twitter.com/jRY7cdyhtz
— EleanorRudd (@EleanorRudd) January 16, 2016
I wonder how many of Gourmet Burger Kitchen's social media team phoned in sick today... 🍔
— Charlotte (@tofudogprincess) January 18, 2016
Meanwhile, some Twitter users have taken to using the hashtag #gourmetmurderkitchen to describe the eatery’s actions.
@ItMustBeKate best hashtag
— Jack Pickering (@jackpickering74) January 18, 2016
@KirstenHenry these are more appropriate ads....mocking people that care about animals ✊🏼💦 #gourmetmurderkitchenpic.twitter.com/LcNnFOSTtf
— paul warmington (@paulwarmo) January 18, 2016
Making fun of vegetarians for not wanting to abuse animals is low @gbkburgers#gbk#gourmetburgerkitchen#gourmetmurderkitchen
— Jessica Chloe Young (@jsscchlyng) January 16, 2016
The meaty marketing comes during ‘Veganuary,’ when people commit to plant-based eating and giving up animal products for at least a month.
@gbkburgers Fancy a chat? :) There's still time for you to get behind #Veganuary!
— VEGANUARY (@WeAreVeganuary) January 18, 2016
1 kg of beef or lamb causes more greenhouse gas emissions than a person flying from London to New York. Great fact @MetroUK! #Veganuary
— VEGANUARY (@WeAreVeganuary) January 18, 2016
“The last thing we ever intended to do was offend or alienate vegetarians,” Gourmet Burger Kitchen said in an online statement.
“Our intentions were light-hearted and not meant to cause any offence, but clearly we have, and for that we apologize.”
5. So having read all your comments and messages, we've made the decision to take down some of the adverts.
— GourmetBurgerKitchen (@gbkburgers) January 18, 2016
We've been reading the reaction to our latest advertising campaign and needless to say, we're quite taken aback. The...
Posted by Gourmet Burger Kitchen on Monday, January 18, 2016