Tough being the local brand in fast food. Your competitors are globally famous, very wealthy and massive advertisers.  

Swedish burger chain, MAX, has grown into a true challenger to the major players, especially McDonald’s nonetheless. Competing on taste, ingredients, and quality, it stands out. Since early summer, the chain has proudly repeated its mantra: Swedish beef and chicken are always served at every restaurant.

Swedish beef and chicken, symbols of quality and sustainability, matter to Swedes. Surveys show the message has landed. Awareness, recognition, and understanding have reached record highs.

Now, MAX and its agency, Åkestam Holst NoA, are taking the next step by turning the spotlight on its American peers, giving them an unexpected place in its own advertising. Using visuals that nod to their familiar colours, fonts, and design language (without crossing any legal lines), MAX highlights the facts about where its competitors’ beef and chicken actually come from.

“It’s always easier to grasp a message when you have something to compare it to,” stated Linus Blom, head of brand strategy & creative at MAX Burgers. “It’s not about shaming anyone — in fact, we’ve actually been quite kind to some of our competitors. We could have used much stronger words to describe how often, or rather how rarely, some of them actually serve Swedish beef or chicken.”