YO! Sushi, the iconic Japanese restaurant group is set to roll out an integrated campaign later this month to reinvent the burger. The launch sees the brand invest in new kitchen equipment across the entire estate supported by an extensive staff training programme to deliver a dish that represents a departure from its traditional service.
Robin Rowland CEO of YO! Sushi said: “In a market going nuts for burgers right now, we have created a genuinely exciting alternative to the standard “beef in a bun” offering. It is not only lower in calories, but a revolutionary new product.”
The YO! Burger
The campaign introduces a new concept with the YO! Burger. Instead of a traditional bread bun, the YO! Burger bun is made from the highest grade Japanese toasted rice and a range of five fillings – teriyaki chicken, kimchi salmon, prawn katsu, tilapia katsu (whitefish) and tofu katsu.
Each YO! Burger is served on a bespoke Japanese bento tray with a selection of new accompaniments including a palate cleansing pickled daikon slaw, nori crackers in place of fries and a totally new flavour being brought from Japan to the UK for the first time, misochup, instead of ketchup.
The new Japanese inspired dish will be available across most of YO! Sushi’s 65 UK restaurants from Tuesday 11 June 2013 priced at £8.00.
Mike Lewis, YO! Sushi Executive Chef commented: ” With the YO! Burger, we wanted to introduce the nation to something entirely new, inspired by Japan and exclusive to us. It’s taken several months to develop, a raft of new kitchen equipment, but with the YO! Burger we know diners will feel like they’ve had a taste of the future.”
YO! Sushi’s biggest ever publicity campaign
Delivered by the overarching creative platform “Taste The Future”, the campaign will encompass TV, press, PR, experiential, social media and in-restaurant promotion. Staff have been key in rolling out the new dish nationwide, with some even appearing in the TV ad.
Circular brand campaign visuals have also been developed to reflect the shape of the burger and the bright pastel colour palette to reflect the summer months – a distinct move away from the traditional YO! Sushi orange.
The circular campaign visuals are repeated throughout the campaign, from the product shots taken by award winning food photographer Jean Cazals to the T-shirts staff will be wearing, to window vinyls, posters and the TV ad campaign itself.
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About YO! Sushi
Founded in 1997, YO! Sushi was the first to bring the concept of a Japanese ‘kaiten’ sushi bar that delivered food via a conveyor belt to the UK. To this day, YO! Sushi’s dishes are freshly prepared in its restaurants daily. Although sushi is at the heart of the concept, there’s a choice of over 90 Japanese inspired items, including delicious soups, rice or noodle-based dishes, salads, tempura and hot classics like best-sellers Chicken Katsu Curry, Salmon Teriyaki and Yakisoba noodles.
By 2001, YO! Sushi had become the market leader in sushi restaurants and has grown from a London-only sushi brand to a 76 strong group of restaurants worldwide, serving over 5 million customers a year. YO! Sushi is privately owned by Quilvest and the YO! Sushi senior UK management team, which is led by CEO Robin Rowland.