A breakfast for every citizen
Project type:
global campaign
Client:
citizenM hotels
Skills shown:
creative direction, copy, fashion styling
The word ‘buffet’ has a bad rep. They are often lacking in choice and seen as tacky. citizenM found the word gave guests the ick – “what’s luxurious about a buffet?”. Guests avoided the add-on while booking their stay. It’s proof words have weight.
The challenge was to convince guests the citizenM buffet was different, to explain the new narrative in a minimal character count (for UX purposes), and how to localise the breakfast and better describe it.
Come launch, the global campaign boosted breakfast and room sales expediently, resulting in over €19K of revenue on the first day.
NARRATIVE
It is possible to make everyone happy
Cold breakfast, hot breakfast. Tiny breakfast, big breakfast. Early breakfast, late breakfast. There are as many breakfasts as there are travellers — so what’s a hotel to do to make everyone happy? Easy — set up a plentiful, delicious spread of classics and local favourites, and let the fun begin.
Carpe croissant, citizen!
KEY COPY
A breakfast for every citizen.
Carpe croissant, citizen!
Not a ‘buffet’, a ‘spread’
PERSONAS
The different types of breakfast
To better understand who citizenM's guests were – and how they experience breakfast at the hotels – I developed an initial set of ten distinct breakfast personas. From there, I refined the selection down to four, balancing both budget considerations and the need to communicate a clear, focussed narrative.
nutrient nibbler
Light, fresh and healthy is how this wellness whizz prefers breakfast. To them, the body is a temple.
plate stacker
A little bit of this, a whole load of that – breakfast is a three to five-course meal for this strategic eater. They work
buffets like a pro.
sugar savorer
Pancakes, pastries, porridge with mounds of maple syrup… if it’s sweet, it’s on this sugar lover’s plate.
full English feaster
Sausage, eggs, bacon, beans, bread and more – nothing beats the British classic for this citizen. Elastic trousers are a must.
STYLING
A look for every breakfast
As Creative Director and Lead Copywriter on the project, I had a clear vision for each citizen. The plate stacker embodies excess – loud, layered, unapologetic. The nutrient nibbler is health-first, favouring breathable, minimal pieces. The full English feaster is timeless in both taste and style. The sugar savor chases dopamine, with a look as bold and indulgent as their breakfast.
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who did what
Stephanie Gonot
Charlotte van der Boon
photography
Emily Smith
production
Joe Crowther
graphic design, art direction
production, project overseer