German Doner Kebab says hello to America with insane ads from Quality Meats

German Doner Kebab (GDK), a U.K.-based fast-casual restaurant chain, invades the U.S. with gleeful absurdity in a campaign from Quality Meats featuring a fast-talking German spokesman and low-fi, zany animation.

A series of spots aims, first and foremost, to explain what GDK’s version of a kebab is—more like a gyro than the traditional meat on a stick. The ads, targeting Gen Z, are awash in silliness, with farcial visuals and copy lines sprinked throughout their entertaining 18 seconds each. Casey Lock and Ross Zuchowski at Method Madness directed the spots. The tagline is, “Open your mouth mind.”

“A place called German Doner Kebab might be a tad confusing to younger Americans if they’ve never encountered those three words put together. It’s not a kebab on a stick? What exactly is a doner? And how does German play into the whole thing?” said Brian Siedband, co-founder and co-chief creative officer of Quality Meats. “We wanted to acknowledge that confusion head-on but in a way that charms them into wanting to try it.”

“We want to both educate and entertain—or ‘edutain’—while leaning into Gen Z and Americans’ open-mindedness when it comes to their QSR preferences, where they value quality and authenticity,” said Thorsk Westphal, GDK’s global chief marketing officer.

The same tone translates to OOH and social elements. 

GDK, based in Glasgow, Scotland, has more than 170 restaurants across the U.K., Sweden, North America and the Middle East, where it has gained popularity as a late-night post-pub food. It plans to eventually open 350 restaurants in the U.S. alone.

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