Valentine’s Day 2019.

Casual dining DIGITAL ACTIVITY DIGITAL ACTIVITY

This Valentine’s Day, championed female friendships, calling on its fans and followers to celebrate ‘Galentines’ from 8–15 February. DIGITAL ACTIVITY

Encouraging groups of friends to wine, dine and, most importantly – share – All Bar One offered a free “It may have seemed a gamble bottle of wine or a cocktail with every not to focus on love for order of four dishes from its menu of Valentine’s Day, but promoting 12 small plates. girly friendships paid off for All Bar One. The chain’s vibe In collaboration with Absolut Vodka, is more fun than romantic, so All Bar One asked its followers to playing to its strengths, and share their ‘girl squad’ nicknames for getting bigger groups in to the chance to win a £50 voucher. boot, was a clever way to go.” Natalie Somerville Strategy & Creative Director DIGITAL ACTIVITY DIGITAL ACTIVITY

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Beefeater went big this Valentine’s Day. Large outdoor banners detailed their seasonal offers, and in-restaurant, special Valentine’s Day menus were available to take away. OUTDOOR POS

Online, the chain pushed their ‘It’s the little things’ messaging, advertising three courses from £19.99 as part of their Valentine’s Day menus campaign. On Facebook, “I really liked the sentiment hosted various rounds of ‘Couple this year of ‘It’s the Little Battles’, in which followers voted Things’ and the nice link to for their favourite TV pair – boosting ‘I’ve ordered your favourite’. engagement and encouraging It injected real warmth into user-generated content. their campaign.”

Claire Roshanzamir Strategy & Creative Director IN-RESTAURANT POS DIGITAL ACTIVITY

Balloons, bunting and banners – pulled out all the stops in-restaurant this Valentine’s Day. Love hearts and streamers decorated the Italian restaurant, with seasonal IN-RESTAURANT POS strut cards displaying Valentine’s Day menus.

Bella Italia’s social media channels served as a reminder to followers, “‘From Italy with love’ was a with posts encouraging diners not to sharp tagline for Bella Italia, forget to make a Valentine’s booking while the Valentine’s Day – and enjoy a special set menu Quiz on social media proved a especially for the romantic period, clever way of driving customer which included three courses and a engagement.” glass of fizz from £19.99. Chris Perks Managing Director of Digital Services DIGITAL ACTIVITY DIGITAL ACTIVITY

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The French certainly know a thing or two about the art of romance, and this Valentine’s Day, Café Rouge did not disappoint. The French bistro chain created loved-up in-restaurant IN-RESTAURANT POS displays, pushing champagne, flowers and a special menu offer for couples. “Café Rouge hero-ed their The Valentine’s special menu was Valentine’s menu delivering a also pushed on social media with creatively consistent campaign competitions offering vouchers across restaurants and online and bottles of champagne for lucky environments. The restaurant winners, helping to define their environment saw use of premium multi-channel #LoveIs campaign. print materials and luxurious product displays which were simple and effective; signalling the occasion and drawing attention to the menu.”

Jess Hyland Business Unit Director DIGITAL ACTIVITY DIGITAL ACTIVITY

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Elegant foil finishes and bespoke illustrations helped to present Valentine’s Day products and offers to customers with class, both in the restaurant and store environments. DIGITAL ACTIVITY

Delicious food options and fitting quotes were present on the restaurant’s social media, giving dinner suggestions and the opportunity for Deliveroo to bring the feast to your front door. IN-RESTAURANT POS DIGITAL ACTIVITY

Tactile decorations and bunting adorned the walkways, bar and entrance to each restaurant. This welcomed visitors in to enjoy Valentine’s cocktails and the themed OUTDOOR POS DIGITAL ACTIVITY menu, adding a limited and must-have quality to the food and drink on offer. DIGITAL ACTIVITY DIGITAL ACTIVITY

Subverting the stereotypical idea of a date night meal, Domino’s used its perceived juxtaposition with fine dining to its advantage, providing offers for couples and singles to enjoy DIGITAL ACTIVITY their product, no matter the occasion.

“Domino’s isn’t perceived to be the usual go-to for Valentine’s Day but it turned its ‘weakness’ into a strength. Spreading its appeal across the board, it advertised everything from romantic meals-in to a defiant pizza for one, positioning itself as the option for couples and singletons alike who enjoy bucking the trend.”

Claire Cooper Creative Director DIGITAL ACTIVITY DIGITAL ACTIVITY

Whether it’s mates night or date night, two-for-one deals on burgers are always a winner for Valentine’s Day, not to mention having a bottle of bubbly for less than £10 – what’s not DIGITAL ACTIVITY to love?

“If you were working on a budget, then a two-for-one burger on Valentine’s Day was the perfect option, advertised with Flaming Grill’s usual bold, no-nonsense approach. Careful not to put all its eggs in one basket, the chain’s snappy slogan ‘Mates night or date night’ meant no-one was left out.”

Robin Jung Business Unit Director DIGITAL ACTIVITY DIGITAL ACTIVITY

Hanging decorations and vinyls presented a loved-up theme to visiting customers. Social media used a nostalgic take on memorable films and experiences to tug on IN-RESTAURANT POS DIGITAL ACTIVITY heartstrings, offering the chance to create a cocktail or win a romantic spa break. IN-RESTAURANT POS IN-RESTAURANT POS

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The customers’ eyes were drawn to the themed Valentine’s products on offer, with puns and funny captions promoting the limited-time treats on social media. All applied alongside original photography, this reinforced ’ cheeky tone of voice that the public have grown to love.

“I love the tongue-in-cheek photoshoot with the sausage rolls on a bed of roses – great to see single-minded product pride regardless of the occasion.”

Claire Roshanzamir Strategy & Creative Director OUTDOOR POS DIGITAL ACTIVITY

Harvester wanted its customers to ‘Share the Love’ with two- and three-course evening meals. This approach was continued on social media channels through bubbly- RESTAURANT FRONT OUTDOOR POS based adverts and consistent visuals to those used inside and outside of ’s locations. DIGITAL ACTIVITY IN-RESTAURANT POS

Indulgence was the focus for Miller & Carter, using a statement heart visual as the backdrop for POS, A-boards and a specialist menu. IN-RESTAURANT POS OUTDOOR POS Gift cards, set menus and playing on the public’s love for steak were three of the approaches used online to build interest and gain bookings. DIGITAL ACTIVITY DIGITAL ACTIVITY

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If there was ever an excuse to visit Nando’s, it was made even more irresistible with prizes hidden under restaurant tables on Valentine’s Day. This helped to get friends, family and DIGITAL ACTIVITY couples to visit for a chance to win a free meal.

In true Nando’s style, jokes and “Once again, Nando’s used their puns about the menu were posted distinct tone of voice to deliver across social media channels, punchy, fun and disruptive keeping customers engaged with content online. This was paired light-hearted, shareable content. with an engaging experience in restaurants, which encouraged gamification and engagement.”

Jess Hyland Business Unit Director DIGITAL ACTIVITY DIGITAL ACTIVITY

Pushing memberships with a free cocktail helped to get customers through the door, where they could enjoy deals on everything from lunch and small plates to selected draught DIGITAL ACTIVITY DIGITAL ACTIVITY pints, two-for-one house cocktails and bottles of bubbly. DIGITAL ACTIVITY DIGITAL ACTIVITY

Image-led visuals of the heart dough balls gained interest from passers-by for Pizza Express’ Valentine’s menu, making the occasion, and link between DIGITAL ACTIVITY occasion and restaurant, clear.

£50 vouchers, romantic getaways to Rome and Venice, as well as incentives to share memorable moments created nostalgia and “What’s not to love about a encouraged customers to get heart-shaped dough ball? involved, enter competitions and A great seasonal twist on enjoy the food and drink on offer. a classic guaranteed to make you smile and order spontaneously.”

Claire Roshanzamir Strategy & Creative Director DIGITAL ACTIVITY DIGITAL ACTIVITY

This Valentine’s Day, ’s slices, sides and dips were presented with vibrant, playful photography on social media with retro neon calls-to-action and visuals to entice DIGITAL ACTIVITY customers. Whether it’s for a loved one, friend or family, ‘nothing says love like pizza.’ “If Pizza Hut wasn’t your previous port of call for love, that may have changed this Valentine’s Day. The chain managed to maintain its playful, fun feel while also presenting itself as a viable alternative to more ‘traditionally romantic’ restaurants, for couples who don’t take themselves too seriously.”

James Cannell Chief Creative Officer DIGITAL ACTIVITY DIGITAL ACTIVITY

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Thoughtful table displays presented flowers, candles and wreaths to visitors with handwritten chalkboards showcasing the set menus on offer. DIGITAL ACTIVITY DIGITAL ACTIVITY When not taking in the ambience of the pub itself, vibrant photography of menu items along with 20% off prosecco offers were pushed to online customers. DIGITAL ACTIVITY DIGITAL ACTIVITY

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Bunting both throughout the pub environment and as graphic devices were used to promote and increase bookings of the steak and wine for two offer. This was pushed online IN-RESTAURANT POS also, keeping the graphics, messaging and offers consistent across all platforms. DIGITAL ACTIVITY DIGITAL ACTIVITY

A social focus was brought to the print elements both inside and outside of the venues, focusing on single ladies to increase footfall and drinks sales across Valentine’s. DIGITAL ACTIVITY

Drinks, desserts and bookings were all pushed on social media channels, and the restaurant teamed up with beer brand Peroni, offering customers “Slug & Lettuce balanced romance the chance to win a romantic trip to with friendship over Valentine’s Day Sorrento in Italy. – its ‘All the single ladies’ POS signs in particular were playful and firmly on-brand.”

Alan Turner Creative Director OUTDOOR POS IN-RESTAURANT POS

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Tables were covered with romantic cards, paper love hearts, candles and cuddly bears to help customers enjoy that warm fuzzy feeling, along with a three-course set menu and fizz for DIGITAL ACTIVITY £17.99.

“A three-course set menu, fizz included, at ’s restaurants summed up its Valentine’s approach – a straightforward, value-for-money meal out if your budget wasn’t huge.”

Natalie Somerville Strategy & Creative Director DIGITAL ACTIVITY DIGITAL ACTIVITY

Vinyl hearts decorated the entrance door, enticing people to book and enjoy an American take on Valentine’s Day. DIGITAL ACTIVITY Half-price bottles of wine were available and the ‘Together Table’ allowed diners to choose the distance between them as they dined, all to give them a cheeky nudge in the right direction. “This is a great example of a simple piece of experiential theatre done effectively, sure to have got people talking.”

Claire Roshanzamir Strategy & Creative Director RESTAURANT FRONT RESTAURANT FRONT

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Hand-drawn chalkboards of Cupid welcomed visitors, with £20 vouchers on offer to lucky competition winners, as well as an extra incentive to those planning to pop the question. Why at IN-RESTAURANT POS ? A beautifully cooked roast, dessert and drinks is why. Valentine’s Day 2019.

Thank you

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*Information and images within this report are gathered from ITG research, third party resources and materials available in the public domain.