Only Love Strangers
CLIENT
Only Love Strangers
OVERVIEW
In April 2024, Only Love Strangers (OLS) emerged onto the Lower East Side's vibrant dining and nightlife scene. It was opened by Only Love Strangers Hospitality, a newly-formed hospitality group helmed by the Director team of MáLà Project: Amelie Kang, Simona Petrovska, Christian Castillo, Irene Li, and Yishu He. Set within an immersive bi-level space, Only Love Strangers, this venture promised a unique drinking, dining, and entertainment experience, blending nightly live jazz performances with a bespoke cocktail program and a Mediterranean inspired menu. The venue's stunning design – an homage to retro-futurism inspired by 1960s/1970s surrealism – served as a cornerstone of the sensory experience. creating an environment where creativity and discovery intersect.
GOAL
Bolster Media was hired to conduct the opening press outreach for Only Love Strangers' debut in New York City. The goal was to establish itself first and foremost as a cocktail bar, while also highlighting its high-quality cuisine and live jazz entertainment. Additionally, as this was the debut project from a newly formed hospitality group, the goal was to spotlight all of the project's partners. The launch strategy focused on garnering interest and attention from both local and national media to position Only Love Strangers as a must-visit nightlife venue in New York City. We also wanted to capture and highlight the venue's visual allure through social/digital channels.
APPROACH
To achieve these goals, Bolster worked to launch the venue successfully in the New York City dining landscape through extensive outreach to local and national media, targeting the venue's diverse audience.
Together with the client, we landed on offering an exclusive feature in T: The New York Times Style Magazine's "T List" picks, recognizing the design-centric appeal of OLS and its resonance with the publication's discerning readership.
We also targeted prominent food and dining outlets to highlight the venue's culinary offerings, while also tapping into fashion and lifestyle media to accentuate its distinctive aesthetic.
Prior to opening, Bolster organized a high-profile opening party and facilitated on-site introductions with key media and influencers.
Post-launch, we continued our momentum by inviting top-tier, relevant media into Only Love Strangers for a full experience and forged partnerships with influencers and content creators – particularly those within the food and lifestyle spheres – leveraging the venue's visually-captivating ambiance.
RESULTS
GENERATING BUZZ IN TWO MONTHS
In just two months, the opening project yielded successful results, generating buzz across both traditional and digital platforms.
LARGE PUBLICATION COVERAGE
Throughout the campaign, we secured a wide spectrum of coverage spanning the realms of food and beverage, fashion, and design, with hits in The New York Times, Eater New York, The Infatuation New York, Thrillist New York, Resy New York, Design Milk, NBC New York Live, New York Post "Alexa," Secret NYC, and Harper's Bazaar "Chic Eats." Coverage from these publications showcased Only Love Strangers's unique proposition, positioning it as a must-visit destination in New York City.
INFLUENCER NETWORKING & SOCIALS
On the social side, we worked with influencers ranging from food-focused channels like @chewyorkcity, @foodbabyny, @boujeebitesonly, @thequeenfoodie, and @lavivienyc to more lifestyle-driven creators like @coolstuffnyc, @tedzhar, and @sarahhodgson.
MEDIA, EVENTS, & INFLUENCERS
The strategic blend of media outreach, exclusive events, and influencer engagement effectively conveyed Only Love Stranger's narrative, cementing its reputation as an immersive dining and nightlife experience in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
Impressions: 1.75M Estimated Views || 43.8K Engagements
FEATURED IN
