Rustlers

Rustlers are a range of burgers and hot sandwiches produced by Kepak Convenience Foods, based in Kirkham, Lancashire, England. The parent company, Kepak, is based in Dublin, Ireland. Each product in the range comes packed with a cardboard hot-plate and a sachet of sauce appropriate for the food. The Flame Grilled Quarter Pounder and "The Big One" are also available packaged with a slice of processed cheese. The focus of the marketing is on the short cooking time and the use of a microwave oven to reheat the food. The brand's slogan is "0 to Tasty in 70 Seconds".

Current Range

*Flame Grilled Quarter Pounder - with tomato ketchup and cheese
*Flame Grilled Chicken Sandwich - with mayonnaise
*BBQ Rib - with barbecue sauce
*"The Big One" - with burger relish and cheese
*Sausage and Bacon Breakfast Bap - with tomato ketchup
*Italian Chicken Fillet Sandwich - with tomato salsa sauce
*Chicken Tikka Naan - with curry sauce

Marketing

The brand's marketing campaigns appear to be aimed at young men, who are known to prefer convenience in food. This can be seen in the original television advert involving young men taking modified microwaves to "cruise" style events, as well as in more recent marketing involving desirable young women. The official website shows a typical bachelor pad, complete with a widescreen TV and PlayStation 2. There is also a football which is part of a Keepy Ups minigame.

Voice-overs for the adverts are provided by Steve Berry, a man known for his enthusiasm for motorcycles, which fits the brand's theme of speed in its marketing. A more obscure connection between Berry and Rustlers is that both originate in Lancashire.

Eat Late Eat Safe

In 2007 the brand became associated with the "Eat Late Eat Safe" campaign. This is an effort by UK fire services to spread awareness about the dangers of cooking while under the influence of alcohol, particularly aimed at university students. The brand is particularly suitable for this purpose because of its reliance on microwave ovens, which are generally regarded as less likely to cause fires. Rustlers' involvement in the cause involves a section linking to the campaign's site on its own website, and the distribution of free samples and money-off coupons during a tour of UK universities. The campaign's awareness leaflets are given out with the samples and coupons.

Controversial Advertising Campaign

In early 2007 controversy arose about a television advert in which a man uses a microwave-style keypad to remove a woman's clothing while she sits on a couch that rotates like a microwave oven's centre plate. The advert is intended to humorously emphasise the short cooking time of a Rustlers burger by applying the idea of "fast forwarding to the best parts of life" to a romantic situation. There were complaints that the advert could be seen as likening the woman to a piece of meat. A spokesman for the brand claimed that it was strictly tongue in cheek and "empowers women, as it is the woman in the ad who has decided to take her clothes off, not the man." [ [http://www.prestontoday.net/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleID=2053767&SectionID=74 Preston Today article] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.rustlersonline.com/ Rustlers' official website]
* [http://www.eatlateeatsafe.com/ Eat Late Eat Safe website]