PR > PR Techniques

HUNGER RESTAURANT

VML, Bangkok / NETFLIX / 2024

Awards:

Shortlisted Spikes Asia
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Overview

Credits

Overview

Why is this work relevant for PR?

Leveraging social media, the campaign strategically promoted pre-bookings, creating anticipation aligned with the film's timeline. A soft opening with influencers generated initial buzz, while limited seatings compelled customers to organically share their experiences online. The meticulous alignment of the restaurant's concept with the film's themes, along with revealing receipts and a thought-provoking message, sparked conversations, amplifying the campaign's visibility. This PR-driven strategy successfully brought the film's societal themes into the real world with the use of public relations.

Background

Food is a necessity of life but it’s also a social enabler, a marker of identity, a way to make a living, a fuel for emotions, symbolic of cultural tradition, and in Thailand, an ever-present topic of conversation in our daily lives.

Netflix, a leading streaming service with a ground-breaking constant stream of world-class content lives in our screens, and in turn, its content becomes the water-cooler topics in the real world.

There are millions of food related films. But there’s none quite like Netflix’s ‘Hunger’, a culinary film that uncovers the stories behind Thai social issues, class, and inequality through food.

The challenge was to promote ‘Hunger’ in a way that gives potential audiences a taste of the film and make it a topic of conversation in the real world.

Please provide any cultural context that would help the jury understand any cultural, national or regional nuances applicable to this work e.g. local legislation, cultural norms, a national holiday or religious festival that may have a particular meaning.

While Thailand is celebrated for its culinary delights, social inequality remains overlooked. Thailand is listed as one of the most unequal places in the world. The challenge was to bring the reality of these issues to the forefront by turning food, a symbol of status, into a medium for discussion. The pièce de résistance was creating an immersive experience, aligning the culinary world with Netflix's 'Hunger,' to provoke conversation and highlight the film's themes beyond screens and into the real world.

Describe the creative idea

Introducing 'Hunger Restaurant' by Netflix, an extraordinary eatery providing a firsthand taste of "inequality." Situated in Bangkok, Hunger Restaurant offered an immersive experience mirroring the film's themes of social issues, class, and inequality. By visiting, audience could get a full taste of the film’s concept that was brought to life through the experience. With a dual-sided dining experience, Fine Dining and Street Food, symbolizing societal disparities, the revelation that both menus share the same chef and ingredients sparks conversations. Accompanied by the message, 'Food is just food. There's no right or wrong. Only you can judge your own hunger,' the restaurant effectively brought the film's themes into the real world.

Describe the PR strategy

Netflix transitions from screens to real-life conversations, prompting a need to bridge the gap between on-screen content and reality. Recognizing Netflix's urbanite audience, primarily aged 20 to 40, with a passion for exploration and social media sharing, we aimed to tap into their desire for influence and experiences. While Thailand is celebrated for its culinary delights, social inequality remains overlooked. The challenge was to bring the reality of these issues to the forefront by turning food, a symbol of status, into a medium for discussion. The pièce de résistance was creating an immersive experience, aligning the culinary world with Netflix's 'Hunger,' to provoke conversation and highlight the film's themes beyond screens and into the real world.

Describe the PR execution

Aligning with the film's launch timeline, we strategically introduced the 'Hunger Restaurant' in a vibrant Bangkok dining precinct, simultaneously promoting pre-bookings on social media platforms. The unique establishment, physically divided to mirror Netflix's 'Hunger,' allowed customers to immerse themselves in its themes. To generate early buzz, a soft opening saw food and lifestyle influencers invited, leveraging their online presence for word-of-mouth promotion. With limited seating, customers who visited the restaurant organically created online content, amplifying its visibility. The Fine Dining side featured a French-themed menu, 'Le Pluernichard,' while the Street Food side offered 'Crybaby Noodles,' both crafted by the same chef with identical ingredients. Post-meal, customers received revealing receipts and a thought-provoking message, sparking conversations and reflections on societal disparities, effectively extending the film's impact beyond the screen.

List the results

Hunger Restaurant brought the thought-provoking and entertaining content into the real world, not just in conversation but as an immersive experience to amplify the conversation.

Hunger became the No.1 most-watched film in Thailand, and subsequently, No.1 most-watched non-English film on Netflix globally.

In just five days, a total of 2,400 seats were fully booked at the Hunger Restaurant. It generated an impressive 580,151 online conversations, 16 million impressions, and 10.6 million baht in PR value from press outlets all around the world.

Moreover, it delivered 210M impressions and 23M baht PR value. The restaurant ran and was fully booked for two weeks with the press naming it ‘a must visit spot’.

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