OpenTable
OpenTable celebrates the best restaurants on its platform with its 'OpenTable Icons' awards. Our brief? Turn that list into bookings, with a social-first influencer campaign worthy of these Icons.
Diners trust a local over an advert. So for OpenTable's London Icons, we cast the equally iconic Londoner Clara Amfo to dine and chat with the chefs - no scripts, just conversation. Shot 9:16 to play like an organic, social-first insider tip.
21M views across the campaign, driving bookings to 'OpenTable Icon' restaurants. Successfully expanded to YouTube and Meta ads.
21000000
views
110
assets
The OpenTable ‘Icons’ celebrate the best restaurants on the platform, and every one of them is just a booking away. The challenge handed to us: get diners to actually book them.
Like food - what appeals to one diner won't to another. So we built our campaign aimed squarely at one of OpenTable's key diner personas: the culinary explorer.
A ‘mindful diner’ who ‘seeks authentic, values-aligned adventures.’
These ‘mindful diners’ book for the story behind a restaurant, not the ‘Icon’ accolade alone. So rather than simply list the Icons on OpenTable's platform, we set out to show what earned two of them that status - the people, the craft, the values - told by someone this audience already trusts.
Authenticity started with casting. Clara Amfo - an icon in her own right - is a genuine Londoner with real cultural credibility, making the campaign feel less advert, more insider tip.
From there we got out of her way. No scripts, no presenting to camera, just Clara being her iconic self: talking, eating and reacting to the people who made these restaurants iconic in the first place.
Which is why we chose two with a story worth telling. Asma Khan, whose Darjeeling Express is built on family and abundance. Adam Byatt, whose craft made Trinity a Clapham institution.
Every dish has a story.Asma Khan – OpenTable Icon , Darjeeling Express
Stopping the scroll
‘Authentic’ content still has to earn attention.
To ‘stop the scroll’ we ensured each of these films started with an instant hook, grabbing audience attention immediately.
From there the two cuts do different jobs. The 60s reels carry the story, giving Clara and the chefs room to talk. The 20s versions are built to convert, cut sharper and faster, closing on a clear call to action to discover London's Icons for yourself.
To complement the narrative-led TikTok and Instagram content, we created a functional YouTube ad focused on conversion. A fast-paced collage animation showcased more ‘Iconic’ restaurants, giving viewers a simple next step: ‘Book an OpenTable Icon today’.
21000000
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