David Jones has unveiled a marketing campaign in support of its new brand, David Jones Food, marking a fresh and exciting new direction for the department store. The new brand officially launches on Thursday when David Jones opens its re-imagined Food Hall concept at Sydney’s Bondi Junction.
David Jones Food encompasses the department store’s new food offering, which will include food halls, a new food market concept, stand-alone food stores and a premium food brand spanning fresh, grocery and prepared meals. The Food Hall at Bondi Junction represents a blueprint for the future of the department store’s food business in which it is investing $100 million over three years.
The multi-channel campaign makes food the star, showcasing some of the hero ingredients that underpin the new David Jones Food offer across retail and food services. Central to the campaign is a film, created by TBWA and Maud, that brings to life the deliciousness of David Jones food in the unmistakable style of directors Michael Roulier and Philippe Lhomme.
The vibrant, energetic 45-second film tells the David Jones Food story through a montage of the peak moments of cooking and eating: the crunch, the melt, the flow and the sizzle; the most exciting and delectable imagery that stimulates the appetite and the emotions. More than simply an ‘appetite reel’ – it goes a step further in glorifying the full experience David Jones has on offer, a memorable and distinctive ode to the joy of food.
The full-length film will be featured in Hoyts’ Broadway and Entertainment Quarter cinemas for six weeks, and in Bondi Junction’s Event cinemas until November. Fifteen-second edits will be utilised for a digital campaign across Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, as well as on David Jones’ owned channels.
Three hero stills that tell the story of a meal – an oyster for entrée, an Asian soup, and indulgent chocolate dipped pear – will feature in print (Wentworth Courier and the Beast), Out of Home (Adshel in Bondi Junction Station, JC Decaux in Bondi Junction and on Westfield screens at Bondi Junction.
Supporting the campaign, a 16-page insert was developed, featuring recipes, information about the new food offering and interviews with David Jones’ key food partners including renowned chef Neil Perry. This will be inserted in today’s Wentworth Courier along with Delicious Magazine in New South Wales, with assets from the supplement also being used across all David Jones owned channels.
Paid media activity has been underpinned by a comprehensive PR campaign, largely spearheaded by food partner Neil Perry who has collaborated with the department store on all elements of its food services offering.
Perry will be joined by David Jones Ambassador Jesinta Franklin the Grand Opening of the Bondi Junction Food Hall on Thursday morning, at which customers are invited be first to experience the exciting new food offering, whilst enjoying a complimentary barista coffee, sourced and roasted exclusively for David Jones by Sensory Lab, along with David Jones’ signature chocolate dipped strawberries.
“We have completely revolutionised our food offering, so we needed a campaign that would give customers a taste of our new brand ethos. The detailed way we shot the film enabled us to showcases the provenance, quality and freshness of our new food offering in a way that is immersive and enticing – reflective of the experience customers will have in our new Food Hall,” said David Jones Chief Customer Officer, Gary Williams.
The next phase of David Jones exciting food plans include a smaller ‘food market’ concept in Wollongong opening in October, the introduction of food offerings in existing stores in Sydney and Melbourne over the next year and the introduction of several standalone food stores in coming years. David Jones will also open a new enlarged food hall as part of the $200 million refurbishment of its Elizabeth Street store in Sydney’s CBD.
