Uncommon invites Wagamama customers for a green tea and a chat as hospitality opens up

Wagamama has appointed Uncommon to work on “brand activation and fame driving briefs” as the hospitality industry begins to open up this spring.

This first work takes current government guidelines firmly on board. Benches have been placed in Bristol, Brighton and Manchester, where a cup of green tea is on offer to a maximum of two people who want to take a seat and have a chat.

Uncommon’s idea is based on Japanese art of Kintsugi – repairing broken pottery by mending the cracks with gold lacquer — and incorporates golden cracks into the design of the benches.

Natalie Graeme, Co-founder at Uncommon said: “Wagamama have an incredibly powerful place to play in the category, especially as the hospitality sector emerges from lockdown. The ‘kaizen’ philosophy that sits at the heart of all they do speaks directly to how we see the role brands can play in the world. We’re looking forward to working together and help bring even more of this energy to bear on projects.”

Uncommon won the Wagamama business on a project basis without a pitch. Previous agency MullenLowe hasn’t worked on the business since trading ceased in the first lockdown last March. Wagamama’s former marketing director, Ross Farquhar, who had worked at MullenLowe (and also with its executive partner Laurence Greene at 101 and as a client at Cadbury) left in October.