HERO has been appointed to the Crown Resorts business, marking the new partnership with an Unexpected PR and social campaign that has generated global news coverage for, among other stunts, tennis World Number 1 Carlos Alcaraz donning a Crown doorman cap for a day.
HERO was recruited to with develop a PR and social activation of Crown’s campaign platform, Expect the Unexpected, featuring a cast of elite global tennis stars enjoying Crown as Australia’s Ultimate Entertainment Destination. The campaign objective was two‑fold – to create unforgettable surprise‑and‑delight moments for guests that would spark major PR buzz, while also driving high‑velocity social engagement.
The campaign used a high-profile roster of seven tennis stars while they were in Australia for the Australian Open – Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev, Aryna Sabalenka, Paula Badosa and Casper Ruud. All featured in a series of unexpected moments, created to showcase the breadth of Crown’s experiences and transition from social feeds to mainstream global news.
The campaign’s centrepiece featured World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz surprising unexpecting guests by working a shift as a Crown doorman. The stunt quickly lobbed from social media to global earned media coverage across major news networks, from 7News and the Herald Sun, to international and lifestyle outlets including Spain’s MARCA and MSN España, Fakt in Poland and global tennis news channels Lareum and Tennis Tonic.
The Alcaraz content alone has now surpassed 5 million views, while the broader campaign across Instagram and TikTok generated over 12 million video views and 2.5 million engagements in its first two weeks. Other activations under the Expect the Unexpected creative umbrella included Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa partying at Crown, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Daniil Medvedev grilling teppanyaki at a private table at Koko and Iga Swiatek serving as an undercover waitress at Marmont.
Ed Domingo, CEO Crown Melbourne, noted that the collaboration with HERO proved the brand’s ability to drive cultural conversation through social-native storytelling. “These surprise moments are all about creating memorable guest experiences – the kinds of interactions guests talk about long after they’ve left. Seeing world‑class tennis players helping with guests’ luggage and on the teppanyaki tools reminds us that fun can happen anywhere, at any moment, at Crown.”
Ben Lilley, creative chairman and founder of HERO, added, “Crown is an iconic Australian brand and the sheer breadth of its hotel, leisure and lifestyle offering, and the unexpected joy of seeing the world’s best players genuinely interacting with them, made this a magical creative opportunity. We’re thrilled to kick off our partnership with such a significant global success.”
The social content included:
Carlos Alcaraz greeting guests as an undercover doorman at Crown Towers:
Aryna Sabalenka and Paula Badosa partying at Otoya vinyl bar:
Iga Swiatek serving diners as an undercover waitress at Marmont:
Daniil Medvedev and Felix Auger-Aliassime grilling Teppanyaki at Koko:
Casper Ruud taking on fans at the Crown Melbourne Racquet Club:
