We have been noticing an increase in the number of pop-up restaurants showcasing unique dining experiences, such as the amazing ‘The Cube’ by Electrolux, which visited different locations across Europe. A couple of weeks ago, an unbranded pop-up restaurant was set up in London’s West End to delight consumers with dishes made by top chefs.
However, rather than representing a top London restaurant, the surprisingly suave ‘The Kitchen’ was in fact the work of high street supermarket chain Morrisons, promoting a new range of quality ready meals. With all the restaurant-standard dishes in the range created by top London chefs including Pierre Koffman and Aldo Zilli, diners were pleasantly surprised by the delectable treats on offer.
Unsuspecting diners took to their tables for a glitzy, 3 course dining extravaganza, only being told the source of their meals once they had agreed on a price. The point of the promotion? All dishes from the menu are available in ready-meal portions from Morrisons stores around the country, to be enjoyed at work and home. From an experiential point of view, this is a great way to win consumers by offering an exclusive experience and an opportunity for consumers to try the product before the purchase.
Although we applaud Morrisons on their engaging campaign, with the added element of surprise, this is also a very risky approach. On the one hand, this is a great example of an experiential campaign, subverting stereotypical perceptions of the high street supermarket. However, on the other hand, do the experiential tactics employed make a quality promise to customers that they just can not keep? After all, freshly cooked food cannot be compared to a pre-prepared meal, even if the same ingredients are used.
With mixed responses to both the pop-up restaurant and the rebrand of Morrisons ready meals, only time and revenue lines will reveal the true success of this risky relaunch.
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