The restaurant world’s most famous names are taking a page from Hollywood’s book to build even more anticipation for their businesses. While you might think of a silver Airstream modified to work as a diner when you hear the words “restaurant trailer”, the newest trend actually involves filming short videos to mimic the popularity of movie trailers as an advertising method.
NoMad was one of the first big names to utilize this strategy. Drawing on the expertise of a marketing firm, they decided to create a Goodfellas inspired trailer reminiscent of the scene where the main characters enter a restaurant through the kitchen. Of course, that restaurant was the soon to open NoMad—and viewers of the trailer responded in a big way by sharing the clip widely across social media networks.
But restaurant trailers aren’t just for Michelin star winners. Food trucks and local spots are also jumping on the bandwagon to use video for their own purposes. Surprisingly enough, most of these clips don’t show the food at all. They focus on storytelling and drama instead, with the rare shot of the dining room or the crew responsible for the concept. This actually fits the new world of restauranteurship that relies on building buzz instead of only focusing on vague descriptions of genres and menu teasers.
