The brief
A bar in a low-traffic corner of Fashion Week, and a drink that tasted great but sounded wrong: whisky and coconut water.
The intended outcome
Guests arrive already curious, try it, and tell someone else to.
The moves, and the science behind them
Scarcity and discovery
The obvious choice
Move the bar somewhere busier. Add signage.
What we did
We kept the corner. Part speakeasy. Hard to find became worth finding, and finding it became something to talk about.
Why it works
People value what takes effort to get, and what not everyone has.
Priming the taste
The obvious choice
Explain the drink on a menu board.
What we did
We kept the name and changed everything around it: how it was described, and what guests heard and saw long before they reached the bar, so they arrived wanting it.
Why it works
Expectation changes taste. When people were told the same wine cost more, they rated it more pleasant, and the pleasure response in their brains rose with it (Caltech research).
Exclusivity and belonging
The obvious choice
A promo team handing out samples.
What we did
Performers placed as guests, nudging people towards the bar. Images and phrases around the event, placed so people noticed them without being told. Bartenders used lines that made each drink feel special and a little secret.
Why it works
Being let in on something signals belonging. People want what the in-group has.
Social proof
The obvious choice
Tell people it tastes good.
What we did
Guests saw influential people, played by our performers, visibly enjoying it and overheard others talking about it.
Why it works
People copy people like them. In hotel field experiments, a sign saying most guests in that room reused towels got a third more people to do it than the standard message.
Social currency
The obvious choice
Hope someone posts.
What we did
Guests were encouraged to post at the bar with the bartender, and a group cheers during the show gave everyone the same moment to share.
Why it works
People share what makes them look in the know. The post became the invitation for the next guest.
Also at work
Other behavioural science, psychology and neuroscience principles designed into the experience.
What happened
Sales grew as momentum did. The social question changed from "Why would I try that?" to "You haven't tried it?"