For many people, Benihana is the epitome of kitsch. It’s a place to go once every year, or ten, to celebrate a birthday or some special event. What most people don’t know is that it was once a hotspot for celebrities—A-listers like Mick Jagger, Andy Warhol, Muhammad Ali, Frank Sinatra, and Elizabeth Taylor, to name a few.
This campaign turned back the clock 35 years. Online video recreated the restaurant’s glamorous past, while digital ads and in-store signage turned current customers into both paparazzi and stars. We asked them to upload photos of themselves at Beninaha. If chosen, they’d appear in ads, often the very next day.
Within a six month period, ad awareness was up 145%, intent to visit up 23%, and, most importantly, comparable restaurant sales were up nearly 20%.