GOT BEEF - VIRGIN AUSTRALIA
Last month we covered Air New Zealand introducing the (meat free) Impossible Burger on flights from LAX to Auckland. Though most of the reaction was positive, some politicians and farming groups in New Zealand accused the airline of harming the country’s beef industry by stocking a product which claims to be a vegetarian alternative that tastes, smells and even sizzles like the real thing. Enter Virgin Australia, which capitalised on the controversy by launching a search for New Zealand’s best beef, which will be served on all New Zealand to Australia flights. Virgin Australia says that the end result will actually be a bespoke dish, “designed to showcase the quality of local New Zealand produce.” The aim is to make the winning dish available to passengers on trans-Tasman flights as soon as October.
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Airline Marketing Monthly - August 2018
As well as running its search for the best New Zealand beef, Virgin Australia has been taking its “Battle of the Burgers” (the New Zealand Herald) to the streets of Auckland. On August 1st, it teamed up with iconic burger bar “The White Lady” to give away 500 burgers. Virgin Australia has even managed to get Kiwi politicians sounding off about the beef issue (again). MP Mark Patterson, who had originally expressed outrage at Air New Zealand’s “Impossible Burger” move, came out supporting Virgin Australia. In a press release he is quoted as saying: “Good on the Aussies for recognising our world class beef and lamb, and I am delighted that our produce is being promoted by our closest neighbours. It’s great to see an airline backing our Kiwi beef farmers.”
