Food is a necessity of life but it’s also a social enabler, a marker of identity, a way to make a living, a fuel for emotions, symbolic of cultural tradition, and in Thailand, an ever-present topic of conversation in our daily lives.

Netflix, a leading streaming service with a ground-breaking constant stream of world-class content lives in our screens, and in turn, its content becomes the water-cooler topics in the real world.

There are millions of food related films. But there’s none quite like Netflix’s ‘Hunger’, a culinary film that uncovers the stories behind Thai social issues, class, and inequality through food.

The challenge was to promote ‘Hunger’ in a way that gives potential audiences a taste of the film and make it a topic of conversation in the real world.

Introducing 'Hunger Restaurant' by Netflix, an extraordinary eatery providing a firsthand taste of "inequality." Situated in Bangkok, Hunger Restaurant offered an immersive experience mirroring the film's themes of social issues, class, and inequality. By visiting, audience could get a full taste of the film’s concept that was brought to life through the experience. With a dual-sided dining experience, Fine Dining and Street Food, symbolizing societal disparities, the revelation that both menus share the same chef and ingredients sparks conversations. Accompanied by the message, 'Food is just food. There's no right or wrong. Only you can judge your own hunger,' the restaurant effectively brought the film's themes into the real world.

Given that Netflix's primary audience comprises urbanites aged between 20 and 40 years old, we saw an opportunity to tap into their hunger for exploring new places, posting pictures on social media, and experiencing FOMO – all to share their viewpoint on topics and content to be seen as influential by others.

While Thailand is renowned for its culinary delights, it is less acknowledged for its social inequality. In reality, food serves as a representation of a status symbol – just like what our influence seeking primary audience seek but how to put the reality of these social issues on the plates in front of them?

And in this was the pièce de resistance, if food and Netflix’s ‘Hunger’ are an experience, we could create a provoking experience to highlight the film, its issues and ignite a conversation, not just on our screens but in the real world.

Coinciding with the film's release, we established a real-world restaurant in a bustling Bangkok dining precinct, accepting pre-bookings online. The unique establishment, physically divided in half, immersed customers in the world of Netflix's 'Hunger,' meticulously mirroring the film's setting. The Fine Dining side offered a French-themed menu, 'Le Pluernichard,' with upscale service, immersive lighting, and stunning visuals. In contrast, the Street Food side served 'Crybaby Noodles' in a simpler setting. Surprisingly, both menus were crafted by the same chef with identical ingredients. Post-meal, guests received revealing receipts and a thought-provoking message: 'Food is just food. There's no right or wrong. Only you can judge your own hunger.' This experience aimed to make the film's themes tangible, encouraging reflection on societal disparities beyond the screen.

Hunger Restaurant brought the thought-provoking and entertaining content into the real world, not just in conversation but as an immersive experience to amplify the conversation.

Hunger became the No.1 most-watched film in Thailand, and subsequently, No.1 most-watched non-English film on Netflix globally.

In just five days, a total of 2,400 seats were fully booked at the Hunger Restaurant. It generated an impressive 580,151 online conversations, 16 million impressions, and 350K USD in PR value from press outlets all around the world.

Moreover, it delivered 210M impressions and 770K USD PR value. The restaurant ran and was fully booked for two weeks with the press naming it ‘a must visit spot’.