Hippopotamus, a unique and unprecedented experience in France

Hippopotamus unveils its new children's offer and bets on a unique and unprecedented experience in France
A fixture of the French landscape since 1968, the legendary brand, taken over by the Bertrand group more than a year ago, is giving itself a fine birthday present for its 50th anniversary: a redefined visual identity, a revamped contemporary decor in its restaurants and approved charcoal-grilled cooking. The next step in this renewal is a brand-new family offer, which offers activity materials with a dual format, physical and digital, to entertain children at the table... A journey to the heart of a genuine revolution, whose main focus is augmented reality, directly in line with the expectations of today's connected children.

The promise of an unprecedented experience
Families have always been pampered in the brand's restaurants, which acts as an initiator for children to the pleasures of a real restaurant. From welcome to departure, this translates into a total, original and fun experience.

From the moment they step through the door, the tone is set: a smiling, personalized welcome and a complimentary aperitif! Chips and a strawberry syrup cocktail make for a lovely start as soon as they arrive at the restaurant. Just like their parents, children are given balanced menus suited to their age group. Two dedicated set menus are offered: Mini Hippo up to 8 years old, Maxi Hippo up to 12 years old.

With playful graphic design, the one goal of the menus is to combine eating with fun and indulgence (organic ground beef patty, no fewer than choices of side dishes, mini fruit fondue...).

To accompany and guide them throughout the meal, two characters created by the brand, partners in crime who complement each other. Hippolyte, a travelling hero, food lover and creator of the French-style steak, cheerfully accompanied by his inimitable Popotin, a pet hippopotamus who is very greedy and funny, and whose blunders punctuate daily life. Each child is thus given a surprise box containing activity materials in a dual physical and digital format!

The digital revolution at Hippopotamus
The Mini Box (up to 8 years old) thus consists of sweets, a sticker sheet and a coloring book that turns, as if by magic, into an animated film illustrating the adventures of Hippolyte and Popotin. The real feat happens when the drawings made by the children become genuine animated films! To do this, you simply need to download the Wakatoon app (available over 3G, 4G and WiFi, and available on the AppStore and Google Play).

The same principle applies to the Maxi Box (up to 12 years old) which, in addition to sweets and stickers, includes an interactive magazine with an attractive design containing games, news and profiles. Parents must download the HIPPO MAG app for the magic to happen: augmented reality animations and virtual games! As the first restaurant brand in France to offer an augmented reality experience for children, Hippopotamus is keen to stand out with a strategic target group.

A brand that is completely reinventing itself
For Hippopotamus, this new children's offer is part of a global brand renewal strategy. In half a century, Hippopotamus has built an unbreakable bond with its customers, essentially based on values of sharing and conviviality.

An indelible hallmark that the brand, a benchmark for the French-style steakhouse, now intends to strengthen and renew through the overhaul of its restaurants.

Hippopotamus is committed to recreating a true French-style steakhouse, innovating with a new charcoal-grilling method.

Real groundwork has been done on the plate and on the menu, revealing all of the brand's expertise and know-how in meat. The codes, too, are completely reinvented. As for the decor, elements and materials blend into a coherent and harmonious whole: raw materials, wood, leather, cowhide... The spaces have been reshaped to give customers more room. It is a whole universe that recalls the brand's DNA. The visual identity, for its part, has been reviewed as a whole, changing the logo and the graphic charter.

Setting out to reconquer the national territory, Hippopotamus is launching large-scale operations to renew the brand... while keeping the essential values that made its success: decor, cooking methods and a totally new children's offer that promises a fun moment and experience.