Thai Leisure Group has appointed us on a retained brief to mark two decades of Chaophraya, a restaurant that started life in our own city.
We have been awarded a retained PR brief with Thai Leisure Group, owner of Chaophraya, the Thai restaurant chain known for its authentic and rather more inventive take on the cuisine.
The brief is to deliver a programme of creative PR and brand activations around Chaophraya’s 20th anniversary, focusing on five of its key sites in Leeds, Newcastle, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Why this one appealed to us
The first Chaophraya opened in Leeds in 2004, about a ten minute walk from where we sit now, so there is a bit of local pride in this for the team. Two decades is a long time in hospitality. In a market where restaurant groups appear and vanish inside a single lease, you do not get to twenty by accident. It is the result of a brand doing the unglamorous things right, for a very long time, from service through to the food itself.
That is the story we want to tell. The central aim is to reintroduce Chaophraya to people who may not have been for a while, focusing on why it has lasted, while driving footfall and sales through the anniversary year.
What we are doing
We are bringing the offer to life in the eyes, and mouths, of consumers. That means limited edition tasting experiences, menu innovation, one-off events and a run of engaging brand experiences designed to get people talking and, more to the point, booking.
Running alongside the consumer work is a programme of trade and business-focused executive profiling, built around managing director Ian Leigh and founder Khun Kim, positioning the group as ready for further growth and investment. It is a useful reminder that a hospitality brief is rarely only about the customer. The trade press, the investor audience and the recruitment market all matter too.
What they said
Hannah Duczenko, Thai Leisure Group Marketing Director, said:
“We’re really excited to be working with Prohibition PR to celebrate Chaophraya’s 20th anniversary. With our first restaurant opening in Leeds, it’s great to be working with a local agency who understands our market and our brand. We’ll be celebrating through competitions, exclusive dishes and drinks, as well some creative activations to promote the significant milestone.”
Will Ockenden, director at Prohibition, added:
“Food, drink and hospitality is an increasing specialism for our agency, and as such, we’re excited to be working with Thai Leisure Group. In such a competitive market, you don’t get to be 20 years old by accident, and that’s a result of the brand doing everything right, for a long time, from service to food, and everything in-between. As ever, we’re going to have a bit of fun with this brief, so watch out for some big, creative brand activations.”
Thai Leisure Group runs 16 restaurants across the UK under two brands, Chaophraya and Thaikun. Its Glasgow site is the largest Thai restaurant in Europe.
The win adds to a growing roster for our food and drink PR team, and there is a fair amount of event and experiential work in this one too. If you have a milestone coming up and you would rather it landed properly than passed quietly, come and talk to us.
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