Houlihan's Vamps Up Summer

Houlihan's Restaurants, Inc. celebrates the girls of summer with a Viva La Diva campaign in restaurants in six cities.

Print ads, guerilla events, P-O-P and radio in some markets tout Thursday night Viva La Diva events with half-price appetizers and drink specials. Posters, coasters, banners and "The World According to Diva" booklet complement market-specific promos in Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Kansas City and St. Louis.

Pittsburgh restaurants get a radio tie-in with appearances by popular DJ Vicki Cohill. Guerilla teams in Chicago hand out 11,000 flyers at malls, salons and day spas. Some restaurants offer free makeup and massage sessions or contests awarding T-shirts, cosmetics and "Basket of Booty" prizes. Arnold Worldwide, St. Louis, handles.

An on-premise sweeps will award a cosmetics case with goodies from M.A.C., Bobbi Brown and Kiehl's as well as VOX Vodka bar accessories to one grand-prize winner in each participating restaurant. Sweeps entrants are automatically enrolled in Houlihan's e-mail club.

"The campaign really celebrates being a girl in a way that we think will connect with women aged 21-34 and drive our bar business," said Houlihan's creative director and brand manager Jen Gulvik in a statement.

Leawood, KS-based Houlihan's has 79 restaurants nationally with plans to add 20 by 2006.

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