Crown Resorts and MasterChef Australia are setting the table to welcome fans and foodies to a new pop-up restaurant and unique, dining experience called ALUMNI at Crown Melbourne, the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
ALUMNI will see a rotating cast of MasterChef Australia alumni at a pop-up restaurant for a limited time, serving dishes from the cuisine they are best known for.
Each ALUMNI chef will take up rotating residency for three weeks, commencing with Kishwar Chowdhury (16 May – 2 June), then Callum Hann (6 – 23 June) and Khanh Ong (27 June – 14 July) with a surprise fourth MasterChef Australia cook to be announced late June.
The creative brainchild and collaboration between media agency Initiative, integrated creative agency Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS), Paramount Brand Studio and Endemol Shine Australia, ALUMNI is the latest iteration to support Crown’s brand platform “Here’s Where Things Get Interesting”, launched in September 2023.
Rod Prosser, Chief Sales Officer, Paramount Australia, said this announcement is breaking new ground for the MasterChef franchise and demonstrates Paramount Brand Studio’s expertise in collaborating with partners and brands to redefine brand integrations.
“The Paramount Brand Studio team has amplified this audience opportunity and worked closely with our partners to create a remarkable brand extension and experience like nothing we’ve seen before in Australia.
“It’s a direct hit with consumer desire and we can’t wait for Australians to see, smell, touch and taste MasterChef Australia at ALUMNI.”
Tamar Hovagimian, Head of Integration & Partnerships, Paramount Brand Studio said: “This one-of-a-kind partnership with Crown demonstrates how Paramount continues to innovate and evolve traditional sponsorships, maximising our content ecosystem to scale this sponsorship unlike anything we’ve done before.”
Crown Resorts EGM of Brand & Marketing, Yolanda Uys, said: “Crown is a leading curator of exceptional, interesting experiences in Australia, and we are incredibly excited to partner with MasterChef Australia to bring a unique dining experience with the launch of ALUMNI at Crown Melbourne.
“Crown is Australia’s largest hospitality employer, with 51 restaurants and 31 bars across our three resorts. Each year we train approximately 75 apprentice chefs to go on to have illustrious careers, so as a leader in the hospitality industry, nothing brings us more joy than to partner with these chefs, and further add to our stable of world-class restaurants as we bring the magic of this iconic partnership to life for Australian foodies to enjoy.”
Crown’s partnership with MasterChef Australia will play a role across all stages of the marketing funnel via tier one sponsor entitlements. Awareness of ALUMNI will be driven via the MasterChef Australia franchise including integrated billboards, social campaign across all platforms; in-house promotion throughout Crown venues in Perth and Sydney and the launch of a bespoke TVC featuring the celebrity chef line up nearer ALUMNI’s opening date.
“There’s media sponsorships, brand collaborations and then there’s audacious ideas like this,” added Chris Colter, Chief Strategy & Product Officer, Initiative. “Both these iconic brands have more than come to the table, harnessing their entire experience ecosystems to maximise the cultural and commercial potential of this partnership.
“I couldn’t be more proud to see this come to life, and have already reserved my table at ALUMNI!”
Angélica Naranjo, Head of Original & Integrated Content, MBCS said: “Some of the best brand partnerships happen when you look beyond the predictable. ALUMNI is an example of an unusual union but one which will ultimately attract new customers, create new revenue streams and drive growth for both brands.
“This is just the sort of project MBCS excels at bringing to life and we can’t wait to see this idea in action, delighting and engaging a whole raft of new devotees both for Crown and MasterChef,” added Angélica.
Marty Benson, Director of Content, Melbourne, Endemol Shine Australia said: “Showcasing diverse and talented Australian cooks is at the heart of MasterChef Australia and ALUMNI is a wonderful celebration of our legacy and success stories.
“MasterChef Australia is a life changing experience with so many of our contestants carving out entirely new careers so it’s wonderful to see the ongoing impact of our show through the ALUMNI dining experience.
“And just like MasterChef Australia, ALUMNI will celebrate food from around the world with Kishwar, Callum and Khanh reflecting their cultures through their unique cuisine.”
For more information and ALUMNI bookings visit crownmelbourne.com.au
MasterChef Australia Continues Tonight At 7.30pm
On 10 And 10 Play.
Campaign Credits
Crown Resorts
Group Executive General Manager, Brand & Marketing: Yolanda Uys
Group Head of Brand: Andy Holmes
Group Head of Media, Digital & Social: Carter McVines
Group Head of Creative Services: Janelle Toomey
Group Senior Brand Manager: Candice Arbery
Broadcast: Paramount Brand Studio
Head of Paramount Brand Studio: Michael Stanford
Head of Integration & Partnerships: Tamar Hovagimian
National Partnerships Manager: Emma Hardey
National Activations Manager: Rebecca Yeoh
Associate Creative Director: Mary Karananos
Supervising Creative Producer: Caro Wallace
Media: Initiative
Managing Director: Sam Geer
Chief Strategy Officer: Chris Colter
Sydney Head of Investment: Daniela Rocchi
Client Director: Alison Bongailas
Partnerships Manager: Sophie Hobson
Integration Partnership: MBCS
Managing Director: Olivia Warren
Head of Original & Integrated Content: Angelica Naranjo
Senior Integrated Content Director: Jack Davidson
MasterChef Australia is produced by Endemol Shine Australia (a Banijay company).
Director of Content, Melbourne: Marty Benson
Commercial Partnerships Director: Meredith Hoban
Executive Producer: Simon Child
Commercial Partnerships Manager: Chloe Beguely
Commercial Partnerships Producer: Danielle Belotti