The Challenge
Wagamama Cyprus returned with its annual Hanami celebration, inspired by the centuries-old Japanese tradition of cherry blossom viewing. The challenge for 2025 was to deepen the emotional and cultural resonance of Hanami while expanding its presence beyond the physical space. The goal was to deliver an immersive and authentic experience that not only captivated in-restaurant guests but also extended meaningfully into the digital landscape, by positioning the brand at the intersection of cultural storytelling, modern digital interaction and vibrant, shareable content.
The Project
At its heart, the campaign sought to transport customers, physically and virtually, into a serene, celebratory moment that felt distinctly Japanese, yet universally joyful. Wagamama’s Hanami campaign execution was conceived as a full-spectrum experience that merged visual beauty, cultural education, and digital interactivity, with activations that felt original and modern, yet relevant and interesting. Strategically, it set out to educate audiences on the meaning of Hanami, elevate the customer journey with interactive elements, and deliver memorable experiences that would naturally translate into social sharing and user-generated content.
The Execution
To bring this multi-layered vision to life, we launched a series of creative activations tailored to digital audiences, in order to ultimately increase brand engagement and in-store traffic. On TikTok, we introduced the filter "Hanami the wagamama way" that gently swept cherry blossom petals across the screen, offering users an aesthetically romantic visual cue that mirrored the ambiance inside Wagamama restaurants, while also strengthening brand heritage.
Simultaneously, we developed an immersive landing page that welcomed users with a blooming cherry blossom animation and a Japanese proverb, immediately setting a tranquil, uplifting tone. The page introduced the Hanami menu, educated visitors about the festival’s origins, and invited them to sign up for exclusive offers, turning a simple visit into an engaging digital journey.
Social media content was also of vital importance, as we leveraged the strong visibility of short-form reels to capture attention. These reels, implemented with trending audios, catchy voiceovers and hooks, and current trends, celebrated the campaign’s signature dishes, spring décor and feel-good energy as an additional way of inspiring customers to visit and engage with the Hanami campaign.
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