Hard Rock Cafe: ART OF HARD ROCK

Credits & Description:

Category: Retail and E-commerce, including Restaurants

Advertiser: HARD ROCK CAFE

Product/Service: HARD ROCK CAFE PRAGUE

Agency: PASSION COMMUNICATIONS

Chief Executive Officer/Chief Creative Officer: Emil Jimenez (Passion Communications)

Msnsging Director: Brendan Donnellan (Passion Communications)

Public Relations Manager: Ondrej Lukas (Passion Communications)

Art Director: Helene Zorzi (Passion Communications)

Account Manager: Eduardo Castaneda (Passion Communications)

Sales/Marketing Manager: Lenka Fejglova (Hard Rock Cafe Prague)

Media placement: Event PR - Numerous Media - 6 January 2012

Media placement: Consumer PR - Numerous Media - 7 January 2012

Media placement: Corporate Communications - Numerous Media - 16 Febuary 2012



Summary of the Campaign

Hard Rock Prague is a haven for fans of music, food and great times. However, the cafe realised there was a clear psychological divide between fans of rock stars and the rock stars themselves. This meant that local Czechs disengaged with the brand and considered the Hard Rock a tourist trap, falling short on the promise to get you close to your favourite rock legend. We developed a campaign that bridged this divide and gave consumers a backstage pass into the minds of their favourite rock stars.



We launched a rock inspired art exhibition in the centre of Prague, showcasing original artwork by musicians like Michael Jackson, Jim Morrison and Ringo Starr. The Art of Hard Rock was an invitation to climb into the minds of stars and discover the humanity within. We appointed a ‘rock psychologist’ to analyse the work and give it a local perspective. We hosted a press conference and VIP event with Karel Gott - the Czech Republic’s Tom Jones – and hosted a series of rock-themed events throughout the exhibition.



More than 10,000 people visited the gallery in 40 days. The launch press conference was attended by 30 mainstream journalists, resulting in 60 print articles. The exhibition was covered by 4 terrestrial TV channels, including a 7 minute live reportage on prime-time morning. We successfully hosted the Czech Republic’s first Rock Industry Roundtable. Overall, we achieved Advertising Value Equivalent of more than €1m – a 1,000% return on investment from media impressions alone.



The Situation

Hard Rock Prague is a haven for fans of music, food and great times. It opened in 2009 in an historical 12th century building in the heart of the capital’s Old Town. From the off, locals vocally disparaged the brand, saying that it was just another American-style theme-restaurant catering for tourists. Indeed, up until the end of 2011, the cafe was frequented mainly by tourists – 70:30 split verusu locals. To build a sustainable business for the future, Hard Rock realised they needed to become a destination of choice for local Czechs.



The Goal

Hard Rock wanted to create a Tribute to Prague, a one-off event that would give Czechs the chance to experience the spirit of the brand by allowing them to step into the minds of their favourite rock stars. We were primarily targeting the Prague centre district, those who live and work in the vicinity of the Cafe. We also targeted key figures from the Czech rock industry; their participation would provide valuable 3rd party endorsement for the campaign. Prior to activation, we conducted research with key media on whether the campaign was a) relevant and b) attractive as a topic.



The Strategy

Most people who visit Hard Rock are not rock stars. They are normal folk who like to imagine they live a rock star lifestyle. Our strategy was to release the star that lives inside us by giving people the chance to enjoy the very best rock experiences, courtesy of Hard Rock.



We concentrated our communications around a unique event in the centre of Prague. This was our tribute to the city, and a way to show Czech consumers that Hard Rock is more than just a restaurant – rather a destination of choice.



We created a rock-inspired art exhibition called The Art of Hard Rock featuring original paintings and drawings by famous musicians like Ringo Starr, Jim Morrison and Michael Jackson. These original artworks allowed visitors to take a peek into the minds of famous rock stars. Perhaps visitors would find a piece of themselves in their favourite star.



Execution

The Art of Hard Rock exhibition was hosted in a contemporary art gallery in the centre of Prague for 40 days through January and February 2012. Prior to the opening, we appointed a Czech Rock Psychologist to creat an in-depth analysis of all the artworks. The analysis – called, Paint it Black – uncovered some great messages and remarkable insights that we were able to use with consumers and media.



We hosted a press conference and TV interview schedule before the doors opened to the public allowing us to get some pre-press for the exhibition. The same day, we hosted a VIP launch party for the Prague A-list and select partners.



To maintain media interest we organised a series of events throughout the exhibition. We hosted the Czech Republic’s first ever Rock Industry Roundtable, bringing together 20 of the key figures from the industry for constructive debate.



Documented Results

More than 10,000 people visited the gallery in its 40 days of operation. The launch press conference was attended by 30 mainstream journalists, resulting in more than 60 print articles to date. The exhibition was covered by 4 terrestrial TV channels, including a 7 minute live reportage on prime-time morning. Advertising Value Equivalent surpassed €1m – a 1,000% ROI from media impressions alone. In the first 5 months of 2012, the ration of tourists to locals coming to the Hard Rock Prague shifted from 70:30 to 55:45. The campaign delivered against all initial objectives; general awareness of the Hard Rock raised significantly and more local Czechs started to enjoy their own rock experiences in the cafe.