The ONE Group is a global hospitality company that develops high-energy restaurants and lounges offering what they like to call “vibe dining.” When they wanted to spin this sense of whimsy and fun into a fast-casual concept featuring bao buns, they knew who to call for help bringing their vision to life with tantalizing branding, graphics, and messaging.
Bao Yum: A Whimsical Twist on Takeout
Our Role
Strategy
Creative
Digital
Social
Experiences
Located on the ground floor of the Westminster Hotel in London, the idea for the restaurant was to offer classic bao with a twist—think hot dog bao, lobster salad bao, English breakfast bao, and more. After naming the restaurant concept Bao Yum, we got to work creating a vibrant visual brand that would nod to bao’s traditional Chinese roots while feeling modern and surprising enough to reflect the creative menu and be irresistibly Instagrammable.
With décor, menus, and packaging in place, we set out to spread the good word about the launch and invite people to have more fun with their buns.
An email, social campaign, and website takeover of the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror made a splash on the scene and helped drive foot traffic into the restaurant. And while customers are waiting for their buns to be done, they can play a bao-inspired Pac Man game we developed, which also features prominently on the Bao Yum website.
Despite a slow start due to COVID restrictions, Bao Yum has taken off, and The ONE Group is planning to roll out additional locations across the UK and US. Using the brand, menus, packaging, and other collateral we created, we think the Bao Yum chain is destined to be….bunstoppable!
Say Hello.
Need a big idea for your business? Have a question about working with us? We’re always up for a fresh, new challenge. Drop us a line to get the conversation started.