Burger Rings

Burger Rings is an Australian snack brand introduced in 1974. The product consists of light, ring-shaped extruded snacks made primarily from maize and rice and seasoned with a burger-style flavour. It is distributed in Australia by The Smith's Snackfood Company, which is part of PepsiCo's snack-food business. In New Zealand, the same brand is distributed by Bluebird Foods, another PepsiCo-associated snack-food company. The brand occupies a distinctive place in the Australian snack market because of its unusual combination of form and flavour. Rather than presenting itself as a conventional potato chip, Burger Rings uses a hollow ring format and a savoury seasoning intended to evoke the taste of a hamburger. The product's packaging and advertising have historically leaned into humour, novelty and exaggerated situations, helping it develop strong recognition beyond its relatively simple ingredient base. Burger Rings underwent a visual rebranding during the late 1990s. This change coincided with the acquisition of The Smith's Snackfood Company by Lay's, and the packaging was updated with a more contemporary design, including bolder and sharper lettering. The revised presentation also drew on elements of the brand's earlier logo, linking the updated identity to its established heritage. The brand has been supported by a series of memorable Australian advertising campaigns. These have included an early-1980s Star Wars-themed television commercial involving a Luke Skywalker-like character and Jawas, a radio campaign joking that the snacks might be made from rubber tyres, a 1989 chemistry-class commercial in which a Burger Ring appears to produce imaginary superpowers, and a 1992 advertisement in which a snack ring appears to bite someone attempting to steal it. The campaigns used surreal comedy and playful exaggeration rather than claims of nutritional or culinary sophistication. Burger Rings are made from cereals including maize and rice, together with vegetable oil, rice bran, seasoning ingredients, flavourings and flavour enhancers. Product information has described the snack as suitable for vegans, although packaging allergen statements identify the presence of or potential relevance to gluten, milk or milk products and soy. A bacon-flavour variant was offered briefly in Australia, but the standard burger-flavoured product is the brand's best-known line. The brand is primarily associated with Australia but is also sold in New Zealand. The New Zealand version uses different packaging and carries the slogan "Full on burger flavour". Listed pack formats there include 30-gram and 120-gram bags and 108-gram multipacks. Burger Rings has also appeared in Australian and New Zealand popular culture, including a 2014 television quiz-show moment, a reference in the 2016 film Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and a 2024 episode of Snack Masters New Zealand. These appearances reflect its status as a recognizable regional snack rather than a globally distributed flagship brand.

Burger Rings was introduced in Australia in 1974 as a savoury, ring-shaped snack made from a cereal base rather than potatoes. Its core ingredients are maize and rice, which are processed into the characteristic hollow ring and coated with seasoning designed to resemble burger flavour. The unusual shape and flavour gave the product a clear identity within the Australian snack category and provided a natural basis for humorous advertising. The brand's early growth was supported by distinctive mass-media campaigns. An Australian television commercial from the early 1980s borrowed imagery associated with Star Wars, presenting a Luke Skywalker-like figure on Tatooine who is surrounded by Jawas demanding his Burger Rings. Other advertising used absurdity more directly: a radio campaign joked that the snack might be made from rubber tyres before ending with the line that it nevertheless tasted good. A 1989 television advertisement imagined a chemistry experiment producing a glowing Burger Ring that gave a student apparent superpowers, only to reveal that the sequence was a daydream. A 1992 commercial depicted a Burger Ring growling and attacking the arm of a person who tried to take one from another consumer's packet. The late 1990s brought a significant visual refresh. This period coincided with the acquisition of The Smith's Snackfood Company by Lay's. Burger Rings packaging was modernised with bolder, sharper lettering and a more contemporary overall appearance, while still incorporating aspects of the previous logo. The redesign maintained continuity with the product's established visual memory rather than replacing the identity entirely. The product has generally remained a regional brand centred on Australia. Distribution is handled by The Smith's Snackfood Company, which is owned by PepsiCo. Burger Rings are also sold in New Zealand through Bluebird Foods. The New Zealand presentation differs in packaging and uses the slogan "Full on burger flavour". Reported New Zealand formats include individual 30-gram and 120-gram bags as well as 108-gram six-pack multipacks. Burger Rings' ingredient information identifies cereals such as maize and rice, vegetable oil, rice bran, maltodextrin, salt, sugar, soy-based hydrolysed vegetable protein, flavourings, acids, onion and tomato powders, yeast extracts and flavour enhancers. A Smith's representative has described the product as suitable for vegans, although package statements refer to gluten, milk or milk products and soy. This labelling has generated some consumer confusion because the milk wording can appear inconsistent with the vegan suitability claim; available reference material does not establish a formal regulatory dispute. The brand has continued to appear in popular culture. In 2014, a contestant on the Australian quiz program Millionaire Hot Seat failed to identify Burger Ring as the intended answer to a question about jewellery terms and was later given a packet as a consolation prize. In the 2016 comedy-drama film Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Burger Rings were mentioned in a comic speech by a character played by writer-director Taika Waititi. In 2024, the product was used as a replication challenge on Snack Masters New Zealand. These references demonstrate the snack's continuing familiarity in Australia and New Zealand.

• 2024

  Snack Masters New Zealand replication challenge

  [1]Burger Ringsen.wikipedia.org

  Burger Rings served as the replication task in season two, episode four of Snack Masters New Zealand.

• 2016

  Hunt for the Wilderpeople reference

  [1]Burger Ringsen.wikipedia.org

  Burger Rings were mentioned in the New Zealand comedy-drama film Hunt for the Wilderpeople.

• 2014

  Millionaire Hot Seat popular-culture appearance

  [1]Burger Ringsen.wikipedia.org

  Burger Rings featured in a humorous episode of the Australian quiz program Millionaire Hot Seat, where a contestant received a packet after missing the intended answer.

• 1998

  Late-1990s packaging overhaul

  [1]Burger Ringsen.wikipedia.org

  The brand received a modernised package design with stronger lettering during the period associated with the Lay's acquisition of The Smith's Snackfood Company.

• 1992

  Burger Rings Bite advertising campaign

  [1]Burger Ringsen.wikipedia.org

  A television advertisement showed a snack ring growling and attacking a consumer who attempted to steal it, using the warning "Burger Rings bite" as its comic payoff.

• 1989

  Chemistry-experiment television commercial

  [1]Burger Ringsen.wikipedia.org

  A television advertisement imagined a student creating a Burger Ring in a chemistry experiment and gaining apparent superpowers before revealing the sequence as a daydream.

• 1980

  Early-1980s Star Wars-themed advertising

  [1]Burger Ringsen.wikipedia.org

  An Australian television commercial used a Star Wars-inspired setting and characters to portray a group of Jawas demanding Burger Rings from a Luke Skywalker-like figure.

• 1974

  Burger Rings introduced

  [1]Burger Ringsen.wikipedia.org

  The Burger Rings snack brand was introduced in Australia.

A playful, nostalgic Australian savoury snack built around a distinctive ring shape, strong burger seasoning and humorous advertising.

• Savory corn and rice snack · 1974

  Original Burger Rings

  The core Burger Rings product is a hollow, ring-shaped extruded snack made from maize and rice cereals. It is seasoned with a savoury flavour intended to evoke a hamburger, supported by ingredients such as onion powder, tomato powder, yeast extracts, salt and flavour enhancers. The original product is the brand's long-running and most recognizable offering.

• Flavoured savory snack

  Bacon Flavour Burger Rings

  A bacon-flavour variant was offered in Australia for a limited period. Available reference material identifies the variant but does not establish its exact launch date, formulation, pack sizes or current availability.

• Snack multipack

  Burger Rings New Zealand multipacks

  In New Zealand, Burger Rings are distributed by Bluebird Foods and have been listed in individual 30-gram and 120-gram bags as well as 108-gram six-pack multipacks. The New Zealand packaging differs from the Australian presentation and uses the slogan "Full on burger flavour".

• 1992Burger Rings Bite

  Australia

  A consumer trying to steal a Burger Ring from another person's packet is attacked by a growling snack, followed by a warning sign stating that Burger Rings bite.

  Outcome. The execution presented the product as playfully possessive and memorable rather than as a conventional food advertisement.

  Source
• 1989Chemistry experiment commercial

  Australia

  A student apparently creates a fluorescent Burger Ring in a chemistry class and experiences imaginary superpowers, with the sequence later revealed to be a daydream.

  Outcome. The advertisement used visual comedy and fantasy to dramatise the snack's appeal.

  Source
• 1980Star Wars-themed Burger Rings commercial

  Australia

  A television advertisement placed a Luke Skywalker-like character on Tatooine, where Jawas demanded his Burger Rings and ultimately took the last snack ring he had left.

  Outcome. The commercial became one of the brand's memorable early advertising executions.

  Source
• 1980Rubber tyres radio campaign

  Australia

  A radio advertisement jokingly suggested that Burger Rings might be made from rubber tyres, then undercut the suggestion with a humorous statement about their taste.

  Outcome. The campaign reinforced the brand's irreverent and absurdist advertising style.

  Source

• 1998

  Refresh the Burger Rings visual identityStrategy

  Background

  The brand entered a broader packaging-revision period in the late 1990s, associated with the acquisition of The Smith's Snackfood Company by Lay's.

  Action taken

  Packaging was modernised with bolder, sharper lettering while retaining elements of the earlier logo.

  Aftermath

  The change updated the brand's shelf appearance while preserving continuity with its established identity.

  Source

• 2024

  Burger Rings featured in Snack Masters New Zealand[1]Burger Ringsen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Burger Rings was the replication task in season two, episode four of Snack Masters New Zealand.

• 1990

  Burger Rings brand overhaul updates packaging[1]Burger Ringsen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  During the late 1990s, Burger Rings received a packaging and visual-identity update associated with changes following the acquisition of The Smith's Snackfood Company by Lay's. The redesign used more prominent lettering while retaining elements of the earlier logo.

1. 1Burger Ringsen.wikipedia.org