BENTO BOSS

BACKGROUND
From a cultural insight deeply rooted in Asian work habits, traditionally, older generations believe that longer working hours lead to faster success, contributing to an intense work culture. The hierarchical structure in Asian workplaces exacerbates the fear of boss judgment, compelling employees to work extensively without breaks.

Adding to these challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought enduring behavioral changes, with lunch often consumed in front of computers. Notably, the practice of ‘working over lunch’ delivery to homes or workplaces has become common among restaurants.

However, research shows that lunch breaks outside the office boost productivity by 51%. The campaign encourages office workers to take a quality break outside the office during lunch, fostering the concept of a ‘Work Lunch Balance’ and aligning with ZEN’s commitment to quality, well-being, and breaking free from traditional work habits.

How can ZEN, a Japanese restaurant renowned for quality meals entice office workers away from office deliveries to enjoy a quality lunch break at the restaurant?

THE IDEA

ZEN crafts a unique solution, ‘Bento Boss,’ with look-alike rice sculptures of top CEOs from diverse industries nationwide, coupled with personalized proposal letters inviting them to join the #WorkLunchBalance movement and encouraging their staff to have quality lunch breaks outside the office, helping them come back with more productivity.

Surprisingly, CEOs and Founders from diverse industries, including the largest financial exchange, insurance, Thai national soccer team, food, beverage, TikTok influencers, entertainment, and more—totaling over 34 million followers—all gladly accepted the invitation. They pledged their support on social media and even took action by treating their employees to lunch at ZEN. To further support, we has been actively approached to set up personalized lunch promotions with new business partners, reaching over 3,000 staff members daily across all branches, aligned with ZEN’s commitment of well-being ‘Work-Lunch Balance’ and quality dining experiences

Case VDO

RESULTS
The campaign delivered Significant achievements:
• Over 156% increase in lunch sales on office days.
• Reach exceeding 5 million.
• Garnering over 300,000 Engagements.
• Over 7.6 million THB in Earned Media and Free PR Value.
• Over 72 Free PR Coverage.
• ZEN scaled the success, sparking a new business model, innovative collaborations with numerous companies to organize lunchtime promotions across all branches, providing support to thousands of employees daily.
• Bosses are bonding, CEOs actively sharing lunch moments with their teams.
• ZEN successfully transformed the prevailing ‘WORK OVER LUNCH’ culture into a quality ‘WORK LUNCH BALANCE,’ showcasing the campaign’s effectiveness in reshaping behavior, enhancing consumer awareness, and fostering brand loyalty.