The Ritz-Carlton Stellar Dining Series
Brand Strategy & Design
Branding an extraordinary culinary experience
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Curated, not cured
Continuing our long-standing relationship with Marriott International, we were appointed to develop a fresh new concept for The Ritz-Carlton’s branded dining event series. This event was to take place annually in selected hotel locations around Asia, and aimed to emphasize The Ritz-Carlton’s promise to curate extraordinary experiences.
Reaching for the stars
We analysed the brand’s previous efforts to communicate about food and wine events, and felt that the Ritz-Carlton needed a strong, universal, yet highly customisable concept. One that would allow for multiple iterations over several annual editions, and across major Asian cities, in order to build both recognition and anticipation. We came up with a cosmic theme, an ideal setting for the many Michelin stars the Ritz-Carlton chefs and restaurants collectively possess.
A Celestial Feast
Renowned chefs from different cities collaborate to create a decadent 4 or 6-hands dining experience. A different pairing of chefs is performing in each city, and for a limited time only. We compared these ‘parameters’ to rare cosmic events, with teams of Michelin-starred chefs likened to the formation of unique 'constellations' in The Ritz-Carlton galaxy. This idea is expressed visually, though constellations that form the shapes of simple kitchen tools.
We looked for a unique name, one that would clearly reflect the concept and leave a long lasting impression on guests. 'Stellar Dining Series' was selected along with the campaign tagline: A Rare Alignment of Michelin Stars. We developed a specific tone of voice, and even a cosmic “vernacular”, inspired by the vocabulary commonly used by the star-gazer community in their reporting of exceptional cosmic events.
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We needed to come up with a unique name that would clearly reflect the concept and leave a long lasting impression on guests. The name 'Stellar Dining Series' was selected along with the campaign tagline: A Rare Alignment of Michelin Stars. Working with a copywriter, we developed a specific tone of voice and set of vocabulary that paralleled the reporting of exceptional cosmic events.
The evocative photography was the key to bringing the entire brand concept to life. Working with Singapore-based Studio Oooze, our team provided the art direction and managed the pre- and post-production.
Collaborative process
Close collaboration with videographers and web artists was instrumental in ensuring that all assets were aligned in their creative and artistic execution.
Our team also developed the key marketing collateral and collaborated with some talented creatives for the videography and web development to ensure that the creative assets were aligned with the creative concept.
In fall 2018, the Stellar Dining Series launched in Beijing, Hong Kong, Osaka and Singapore. Following its success, The Ritz-Carlton has since hosted the second edition and won several accolades for the one-of-a-kind event series.
