OpenTable uncorks $22k wine surprise via 2045
OpenTable, a global leader in restaurant tech, has brought its Experiences Month proposition to life through a Melbourne activation that saw unsuspecting passers-by invited into The European to taste a wine valued at approximately $22,000.
Created in partnership with independent creative agency 2045, the activation was designed to demonstrate the discovery, access and sense of occasion at the heart of OpenTable Experiences. Rather than explain that proposition through conventional campaign messaging, the team used one highly shareable moment to show what can happen when someone says yes to an unexpected invitation.
Melbourne sommelier and wine educator Jay Bessell began outside The European playing the role of an everyday street host. Adult passers-by were offered a complimentary wine tasting without being told what they would be drinking, the value of the bottle or Jay’s real role.
Once a participant accepted, Jay disappeared and returned inside in full sommelier mode, guiding them through a blind tasting before revealing the wine: Domaine Armand Rousseau Chambertin Grand Cru 2014, 1.5L (Magnum), valued at approximately $22,000 on a restaurant wine list, including at venues such as The European in Melbourne, as confirmed by restaurateur Con Christopoulos.
Across the day, 42 adult passers-by were approached and 18 accepted the invitation. Guests knew nothing about the wine’s value, eliciting a series of genuine reactions when the $22,000 figure was revealed.
The activation was created first as an owned and social content idea, with the contrast between Jay’s two roles, the spontaneous street invitation and the participants’ unfiltered responses providing the narrative. The resulting campaign assets will be distributed across OpenTable’s channels.
Says Jason Yeung, VP of International Marketing at OpenTable: “Experiences Month is about making it easier for diners to find the restaurant moments that feel genuinely worth showing up for. This activation turns that idea into something immediate and human: an ordinary walk down the street becomes a story someone will remember for years. The value of the wine gets attention, but the real point is discovery and the excitement of saying yes.”
The creative deliberately positions the bottle as the mechanism rather than the final proposition. The $22,000 tasting itself is not an OpenTable Experience that can be booked. Instead, it acts as an expression of the unexpected and memorable Experiences diners can discover across OpenTable’s restaurant network.
Says Christopher McKee, Executive Creative Director at 2045: “We wanted to make something that worked first as entertainment, not an advertisement wearing a tuxedo. Jay’s double act gave us the perfect mechanism. Pivoting from questionable street invitation to $22,000 moment in a matter of minutes. I won’t be refusing samples in the future.”
Running throughout August in Melbourne, OpenTable Experiences Month includes limited-seat One Night Only events at Melbourne restaurants alongside a month-long collection of exclusive menus, offers and dining formats priced at $100 per person or under.
The program is intended to help diners discover experiences that fall outside a restaurant’s usual service, including chef collaborations, menus created for a single night, after-hours concepts, curated set menus and other limited-time formats bookable through OpenTable.
OpenTable’s Experiences Month is presented in partnership with Square – discover the full line-up of exclusive Experiences and secure a booking, visit https://www.opentable.com.au/c/experiences-month/
OpenTable
Robin Chiang – Chief Growth Officer
Jason Yeung – Vice President, International Marketing
Anna Lee – Senior Marketing Manager, APAC
Lisa Pijper – Marketing Specialist
Michael Fitzgerald – Director, International Communications
2045
Tim Evans – Founder
Christopher McKee – Executive Creative Director
Mike Jones – Executive Design Director
Gotham Pillai – Associate Creative Director
Jon Nguyen – Business Director
Grace Busch – Copywriter
Angel Aguilera – Art Director
Freddie McHenry – Photographer / Videographer
Chris Morales – Senior Designer
Isaac Madden – Senior Post-Production Manager
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