German Doner Kebab (GDK), and its franchisee, Strava Group engaged Harris PR to launch the brand into Ireland for the very first time and do it loudly.
Entering a QSR market saturated with established players and culturally cool brands, GDK needed to cut through fast, introduce itself to Irish consumers, and redefine what a kebab means for a new, Gen Z-led target audience.
The challenge was to position GDK as not just another kebab, but a premium, culturally relevant brand with global credibility, and make its Irish debut impossible to ignore.
To announce GDK’s arrival, we first targeted business and news media with a press release, outlining the brands expansion plans in Ireland and commitment to the Irish economy and job creation. This early announcement laid the foundations for the opening of its first outlet at Liffey Valley shopping centre, driving brand awareness, anticipation, and recruitment leads.
To build real-time buzz amongst key opinion formers and their followers, we invited three Gen-Z foodie content creators to GDK’s Newcastle site weeks prior to launch for a first taste, capturing FOMO-fuelled reactions that amplified excitement ahead of the Dublin opening.
With anticipation built, the official launch event at Liffey Valley saw media and influencers among the first to visit, and consumers given the chance to win one of 500 free kebabs on offer across launch week. GDK’s hero menu items, from the iconic OG Kebab to Doner Boxes and Boss Boxes, reframed the kebab as something fresh, modern and worth queueing for.
Driven through press, social and online coverage, we ensured Gen Z audiences saw it, shared it, and showed up.
The launch saw extensive coverage achieved across print, online and social, including strong local, business and lifestyle titles that helped fast-track credibility from day one. But more importantly, people showed up hungry. The 500 free kebabs disappeared fast, queues formed, socials lit up, and FOMO did exactly what it does best, turning first bites into first fans.
This translated to tangible, revenue generating results, with Liffey Valley becoming GDK’s most successful opening in history, setting a new record for the brand internationally.
With one store delivered, the scene is set for the brand’s nationwide rollout over the coming decade.
