2017 Adrian Award Winner
To promote and generate awareness for the longstanding tradition of culinary innovation at Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, the brand partnered with the James Beard Foundation to reimagine the traditional happy hour.
The “5th Hour: Bar+Bites” Competition, Year 3 of Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts Taste of Waldorf Astoria program, paired James Beard Rising Star Semi-Finalists with renowned Waldorf Astoria Master Chefs across the globe to collaborate on new food and drink pairings.
Celebrity judges and culinary elite converged at the new Waldorf Astoria Beverley Hills for the Taste of Waldorf Astoria Final Event, but the story began nine months prior, as chefs met to begin their creative process. Waldorf Astoria social media pages followed along, with coverage during three distinct phases: Activation Weeks, Immersion Weeks, and Final Event Weeks. Taste of Waldorf Astoria year three coverage told the story of not just the final dishes but all the elements — the destination, the environment, the local influences, and the personalities that inspired the creation of the final dishes.
The campaign also incorporated Instagram influencers who generated compelling content for brand use during the campaign and to introduce and reinforce the program. We also leveraged Facebook’s 1st party targeting to hone in on the ideal #TasteOfWaldorf consumer based on interests: fine dining, gastronomy, culinary travel, luxury experiences, and frequent travelers.
Unlike other luxury campaigns, which feature glossy hero images of beautifully plated dishes (the final product), this campaign highlights the creative process, start to finish, and pays tribute to the local influences and the people that contribute to the culinary creations.
Awareness:
- Owned, Earned, and Paid sources for TOWA Year 3 generated an estimated 37.5 million social impressions.
- Waldorf Astoria’s Facebook earned 30% more lifetime engaged users, 26% more impressions, and 229% more video views of TOWA Final Event content in 2017 compared to 2016.
Engagement:
- 6 million engagements across all contributing participants achieved a 9.5% ER – which is 2 points higher than the overall TOWA Year 2 ER.
