(MENAFN- EIN Presswire)
Lionel messi at the Hard Rock Captain Messi launch event
“Captain Messi: Join the Fun”. How a new kids' menu is delighting parents and kids of all ages, proving marketers can still bet big on family time.
HOLLYWOOD, FL, UNITED STATES, November 22, 2024 /EINPresswire / -- Yes, we are OPEN, the global creative studio founded by Maximo Lorenzo and Sebastian Marvin, just launched a new kid's menu and integrated campaign that's bringing families back into the iconic brand in droves.
“This is our third year in a row working for Hard Rock. We knew kids were a double-digit opportunity for the brand and that Messi had tremendous pull with families. But we weren't quite ready for this”, says Maximo Lorenzo.
The most surprised of all perhaps is international soccer superstar Lionel Messi himself. He got to see his likeness turned into a collectible action toy, cartoon, and video game character worthy of its own franchise universe. We asked OPEN if that's what's next.
“Anything is possible if it makes sense for the Hard Rock brand. We were very strategic about this, it was never a gimmick. We kept giving Messi a larger role because we saw it worked”, says Sebastian Marvin.
This effort is part of a Messi trilogy.
The soccer player was presented first as the brand's latest rockstar ambassador, someone families could bond over given soccer's popularity with kids. Last year, Messi moved into the kitchen and became a chef with items on the menu. Sales were good. It would have been easy to simply refresh the menu.
Millie Vergara, account director, describes how instead the team decided to go all in.“Captain Messi is an invitation to bring out your superhero and enjoy an unforgettable moment at Hard Rock as a family. Because that's how kids and adults relate to him, he has superpowers, he has inspired millions”.
A free Captain Messi collectible toy and 360 virtual game is now available with every kids' menu at every Hard Rock across America and select hotels while supplies last. The toy design, which drew inspiration from some of Messi's most iconic kicks and looks, is also available to fans collectors for purchase online.
OPEN designed the entire campaign from start to finish. This included coming up with the idea, menu design, promotional materials, Captain Messi toy, 360 app, web experience, digital campaign, and launch event at Hard Rock. Here, a few lucky kids and their families got to meet Captain Messi in the flesh.
“We couldn't have done this without the Hard Rock team. This was an ambitious project and they kept trusting us year after year. Families are one of the toughest customer's that exist, I worked for McDonald's for a decade and it's not getting any easier for marketers. You got to be smarter” concludes Maximo.
The OPEN team shares how they got there.
The challenge was finding how to evolve Hard Rock's engrained legacy as a music brand, and step into larger shoes as an entertainment brand. Thinking laterally like a kid would, OPEN found inspiration in the world of comic books and superheroes. Because musicians and athletes serve culture in similar ways, they remind us that human limitations are only real if we decide they are.
Sebastian Marvin sums it up while striking a superhero pose himself.
“We think Captain Messi's tone works because it's not just for kids, it has a message for parents too. The best things in life happen when one stays open. It's the name of our company and our philosophy. Marketing experts tend to close themselves down and think they know. We don't, we're always open to having inspiration come from anywhere. That attracts great people, and great clients. That's Captain Messi's true superpower”.
Yes, we are OPEN is an independent marketing creative studio that offers strategy solutions, creativity, design, production, and digital services. A very senior team of marketing pros with a childlike attitude to themselves, others, and the world. With offices in the U.S., Spain, and Argentina, OPEN says Yes to brands that aren't afraid to open themselves up to new customers and new perspective. Currently working with Hard Rock, California Walnuts, Freddo, Insud pharma, Emilia wines, and Scenic Cruises.
Max Lorenzo
OPEN
...
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability
for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this
article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
MENAFN22112024003118003196ID1108916016
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.