Wagamama is hot. Not chilli hot, although that’s one of its drawcards. Hot as a concept – fast food that’s good for you (expressed as From Bowl to Soul). Hot as the in place to meet, greet and eat. In the UK, wagamama has outperformed a sluggish casual dining market for 208 consecutive weeks (Coffer Peach Tracker). That’s more than four years.
Helping its rise to fame was the brand taking pains to stay fresh and relevant. Much of that was due to the award-winning advertising led by a group of agency partners at 101. They even helped the brand to win Marketing Society Award for Excellence. Those partners are now at MullenLowe London, following its acquisition of the agency, and they have spearheaded a new campaign led by the film, True Nourishment, a mix of live action and anime that captures the feeling of food as true nourishment and sets it apart from other casual food options.
Phil Rumbol, executive partner, MullenLowe London, commented, “wagamama is a company with a strong founding ethos that still burns brightly today. Over the last 4 years it’s been a real joy to help project this ‘Bowl to Soul’ spirit in restaurant and via radio advertising, so it’s great to now be given the opportunity to take the brand to the next level by expressing this through the medium of film.”
“True nourishment is a promise from Wagamama,” noted Mark Elwood, executive creative director, MullenLowe London.
“Serving fresh food that makes you feel good. It’s a message with importance as it sets wagamama apart from the rest of the competition. Our script led us to a mix of live action and animation. Blink Productions and our director Basak Erol have been a brilliant partner, helping us capture the energy and spirit of the wagamama brand.”
wagamama customer director, Emma Woods, added, “When I joined wagamama a year ago I was drawn to some historic work developed by 101 with the end line, From Bowl to Soul. Meeting Phil and Mark confirmed their affinity for the brand, and we decided to take the concept into film for the next generation of wagamama customers.
“I firmly believe we are succeeding because we have a core thought that informs everything we do. We really stand for something. This film communicates it beautifully and can become a platform for continued growth globally.”
The campaign is running in cinemas, on TV and online in the UK and internationally.
Credits
Agency: MullenLowe London
Chief Creative Officer: Jose Miguel Sokoloff
Executive Creative Director: Mark Elwood
Creative Director: Ben Williams
Creatives: Nicolas Gomez Cal & Sean Bone
Executive Partner: Phil Rumbol
Account Director: Maurice Pfister
Account Manager: Holly Wells
Senior Strategist: Bruno Carramaschi
Production Company: Blink
Director: Başak Erol
Producers: Alex Pemberton & Corin Taylor
Junior Producer: Natalie Miller
Production Manager: Beatrice Warren
Editong: Max Windows @ Stitch
Post Production: Freefolk
Colourist: Duncan Russell
VFX: Jason Watts
Sound: Patch Rowland @ Machine
Client: wagamama
Customer Director: Emma Woods
UK Marketing Director: Andre Johnstone
Head of Brand: Ollie Payne
