Resy’s new campaign, “Reservationships,” highlights the affective attachment consumers develop for reservations at exclusive restaurants by offering a series of limited reservations at restaurants in different cities, according to a press release issued Monday.
Though Resy calls Reservationships a brand platform, the press release does not make clear what, if any, features are being added to its product. But Resy is setting up a pop-up tent in Flatiron Plaza in the Manhattan suburb of New York City for seven hours on Wednesday, May 3, and offering reservations at 20 New York restaurants that are popular on the reservation service.
Hannah Kelly, chief marketing officer at Resy, said a reservationship would provide guests with “intel on restaurant openings, access to events, tips for where to go and how to get in and the inside track to restaurants is unlocked.” Resy will also send personalized emails similar to a “year in review” feature cataloguing guests’ reservationships with restaurants, according to a statement emailed to Restaurant Dive.
After New York, Resy will offer exclusive reservations to 12 restaurants around the country, with reservations for two restaurants dropping each day at 10 a.m. in the timezone in which the restaurants are located. Resy will offer reservations in Los Angeles on May 8, Washington D.C. on May 9, New York City on May 10, Miami on May 11, and in Chicago on May 12, according to the press release.
To accompany the exclusive reservation drops, customers will have access to exclusive experiences as part of reservations booked through the Reservationship campaign, including off-menu items and restaurant merchandise like spice blends and tote bags.
Kelly compared Resy’s campaign to other limited-availability brand offerings.
“We love album drops and sneakers drops – why not a Resy drop?” Kelly said.
Resy framed the campaign and brand activations as a way for customers to build relationships with restaurants. Increased consumer interest in dining in may be driving consumer demand for reservations, with Resy saying it saw more reservations scheduled in March than in any prior month. Further, a survey commissioned by Resy found that 48% of diners are worried about securing a reservation.
The brand activation is accompanied by creative work by Dentsu, and photpgraphs of restaurants by Amy Lombard.
