Concept Summary

Jury statement:
How do you implement an extraordinary approach to get consumers to ‘internalise’ a new name and the idea behind it? With a truly exciting ‘catering matrix’ that conveys the company’s values and core messages. At Shift2019 the guests could literally let the new concept melt in their mouths. Congratulations to Ottomisu.

After 26 years, pro event has become ottomisu. “We connect people, brands and markets”: at their first agency event after the name change and repositioning, the Heidelberg agency wanted to make the new tagline interactive. The event consistently centred on “relationships” – it was particularly the catering that played a decisive role as a communication medium. The concept devised by Jörg Sellerbeck turned culinary art into an integral part – accessible to all the senses – of corporate communication. He translated the key points of ottomisu’s positioning into culinary terms, presentation forms and ideas, combining it all to a holistic composition designed to stimulate relationships. The ottomisu tagline thus became three-dimensional, walkable and edible as a “connectivity matrix”; the supper table became a “workbench of inspiring realities”. Additional highlights included the “souping” table and the “done with compartmentalising” snack shelf, allusions to ottomisu’s repositioning. The culinary implementation was entrusted to FR Catering. For the “connectivity mobile” as a room installation, finger food ideas were developed to fit the connectivity matrix: people, for example, became “Hummus sapiens” (chickpea burgers); brands became “Signature dish” (BRANDed rissoles) and markets “Fresh from the market” (tramezzini). Supper dishes of creative Levantine cuisine were served up on the table called the “encounter matrix”, suggesting topics for conversation. The intensive cooperation of everyone involved was the key to success:SHIFT2019 showed how effective culinary art can be as a communication medium. At the end of the day, the guests had literally internalised the messages.