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Hungry Jack's organic-beef BBQ Deluxe Country Burger.

The revamping of Hungry Jack’s—Burger King’s franchise in Australia—includes the introduction of two new burgers, promoted as being certified organic beef. 

The chain has been promising a dramatic brand update for weeks and officially announces details tomorrow, but it will include the unveiling of the BBQ Deluxe Country Burger and BBQ Onion Country Burger (with addition of Spanish onions), both of which it says use certified organic beef from “the Channel Country in the Australian Outback.” Both are topped with Cheddar cheese, tomato, lettuce, mayo and BBQ sauce and are served on oat-bran buns, which also is new. These burger join the Whopper, Classic Angus, Angry Angus and other Burger King-style burgers that Hungry Jack’s previously offered.  

Despite adding these new burgers, however, Hungry Jack’s is announcing a new tagline that deemphasizes burgers. “Hungry Jack’s makes it better” replaces “The burgers are better” as its ad slogan. Clevenger BBDO, Sydney, handles the account. 

addition to beef and chicken, Hungry Jack’s adds a new menu category, “Smart Picks.” So far, this healthier-eating category includes just a new TenderCrisp Asian Salad and the Salad Stix cup of fresh veggie slices that the chain announced last month.

Hungry Jack’s also has redesigned its home page. The more-linear, horizontal look, with an emphasis on menu rather than LTOs and current TV commercials, is similar to rival McDonald’s Australian site. McDonald’s has been innovative on a number of fronts in Australia, including developing the McCafé concept, the idea of boxed dinner entreés  for four and boxed lunches for two. The 800-store operation introduced Angus burgers in early 2009 and the upscale “M Selections by McDonald’s” menu in  fall 2009. Earlier this year, McDonald’s tested an Oven Baked menu in South Australia. 

Hungry Jack’s new brand positioning gives a more sophisticated menu and look, both no doubt meant to help it compete with the chain known in Australia as “Maccas.” Hungry Jack’s developed its own bundled meals, called Jack’s Packs, although these are not featured on its newly revised website. 

Separately, Burger King’s 75-store New Zealand operation was acquired today by New York City-based private-equity firm The Blackstone Group. Anchorage Capital Partners previously owned the New Zealand franchise.