Here's what each of the ads means.

The Pelican:

The brief was to promote Shangri La's 'fresh catch-of-the-day' seafood. 

The idea? Waterfront birds such as Pelicans often wade about in the shallows, scooping up fish that swim into beak range - no catch could be fresher! By putting a bib around the Pelican, we flag off 'fresh catch' in an interesting way, without showing a plate or food images.

The in-house restaurant Sera, got an enthusiastic response with more reservations and walk-ins, asking for their fresh catch seafood specialities.

Straw Hat: 

As a 5-star property, the hotel's upscale clientele would often admire, but be wary of venturing into the streets for local fare. So, a special street food fest was hosted, featuring popular Southeast Asian fare.

The idea was to depict the fun of snacking in the street, minus the obvious discomfort (of being in a hot, humid environment with steaming woks etc. on a real streetside!).  Using a Straw Hat, as worn in the days of yore by Southeast Asian street vendors, but visually juxtaposing it, as if it were a dish cover...being lifted, to reveal the delicacy underneath - in 5-star style!

This street food fest was well received with many guests and patrons asking for, and enjoying the fare!

Genghis Khan Illustrations: 

To convey that their restaurant Bojunhala was serving up a special Mongolian Barbeque. 

Using Mongolia's best-known and most ancient "export" - the fearless warrior Genghis Khan, to celebrate their ancient indigenous cooking technique, barbeque. A simple line drawing together with the playful headline, drew the attention of patrons flagging off what was on offer. Patrons were drawn to the unique offering of Mongolian Barbeque in Sri Lanka, and it was very well received. 

Fork and Knife: 

Alongside lots of local fare, Saturday nights would also feature choice Indian delicacies with Sri Lankan food for visiting patrons.

We wanted to clearly indicate two cuisines, without necessarily showing any food shots as the dishes are very diverse.

The execution? Two hands of a diner, holding cutlery while flagging off, quite literally, the two cuisines on offer.

The weekend offer of twin country cuisines had guests enthusiastically enquiring about, and enjoying the subcontinental specialities.

Golf Course (Magazine Ad): 

To make the property and its unique offerings stand out, we deployed the hotel's most distinctive feature - the seaside golf course to pull patrons.

A stunning drone shot of their green course, with a sandy beach and ocean beyond clearly visible, makes for an inviting image.

While most golf courses have small ponds as 'water hazards', the playful use of the inviting ocean acting as a delightful 'distraction' went down very well with travel magazine readers and prospective patrons.

Leopard Spots (Directional Hoarding): 

The hotel chose to leverage a hoarding located on the opposite side of the highway, to especially attract road travellers, driving back towards Colombo/upstate, heading north along the coast from the Yala National Park (after leopard watching). The idea was to encourage said travellers to make a stop-over for lunch at the property - with their various restaurant/food choices on offer.

Since the Leopard safari is the biggest draw at Yala, using the recently 'spotted' animals as the idea, is still fresh in the returnees' minds. Through a clever line, and unambiguous image, suggest the multiple food options, right around lunchtime, when the morning safari visitors, could be making their way back, up north.

This 5-star property started receiving higher footfalls for lunch, from passing car travellers to becoming a preferred pit-stop before the 3-hour drive back to Colombo.