THE 14TH ANNUAL SHORTY AWARDS

The Shorty Awards honor the best of social media and digital. View this season's finalists!

Industry

See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Auto See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Beauty See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Business to Business See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Consumer Brand See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Education See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Entertainment See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Financial Services See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Fitness, Health, & Wellness
<br>See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Food & Beverage
See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Gaming See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Government & Politics See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Hospitality See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Insurance See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Live Events See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> News & Media See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Non-Profit See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Pets & Animals See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Pharma & Healthcare See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Real Estate See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Restaurants See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Retail & E-Commerce See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Social Activism See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Sports See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Technology See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Television See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Travel & Tourism See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Wine, Beer & Spirits

Strategy & Engagement

See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Brand Partnership See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Call to Action See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Community Management See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Creative Use of Technology See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> CTV/OTT See previous winners and honorees for Insights and Trends here.</a> <a href=https://shortyawards.com/17th/"https://shortyawards.com/category/16th/data-visualization">See previous winners and honorees for Data Visualization here.</a>"> Data & Insights See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Earned Media See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Event & Experiential See previous winners and honorees here.</a>""> Gamification See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Humor See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Innovative Media Buying Strategy See previous winners and honorees here.</a>""> Integration with Traditional Media See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Internal Communications See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> LGBTQ Community Engagement See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Micro-Influencer Strategy See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Multicultural Community Engagement See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Music & Dance See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> On a Shoestring See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Organic Promotion See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Paid & Amplification See previous winner and honorees here.</a>"> Physical and Digital Convergence See previous winner and honorees here.</a>"> Public Service Announcement See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Real Time Response See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> SEO & SEM See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Social Commerce See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Storytelling

Empire State Building Rainforest Cafe

Entered in Brand Partnership

Objective

On April Fools' Day, the Empire State Building made waves with a clever joke announcing the transformation of its iconic 86th-floor observatory into a Rainforest Cafe. The announcement, complete with vibrant jungle-themed visuals and promises of animatronic animals under a lush canopy, left audiences both amused and intrigued. While it was initially presented as a prank, the overwhelming enthusiasm led to a surprise Rainforest Cafe-themed pop-up event.

The pop-up recreated elements teased in the joke, featuring themed decor, rainforest-inspired snacks, and interactive experiences like a mini jungle photo booth. Beyond entertainment, the initiative served as an innovative marketing strategy to engage the public, boost foot traffic to the Empire State Building, and generate considerable buzz across social media platforms. It also offered nostalgic appeal to those who fondly remembered the Rainforest Cafe while linking the building to playful, family-friendly experiences.

The goals were twofold. First, it aimed to build positive brand association by engaging audiences with humor and creativity. Second, the pop-up event encouraged in-person visits, presenting the Empire State Building as more than an iconic landmark—it’s also a hub for unique and memorable experiences. This fusion of a lighthearted prank and real-world engagement showcased how even a celebrated icon could adapt with a playful twist.

Strategy

To boost brand awareness, April Fool’s presented the perfect opportunity to engage new audiences with a bold and unconventional concept. Inspired by an idea from one of our social team members, we quickly enlisted our graphic designers to bring the  hypothetical Rainforest Cafe restaurant to life. Launched on the morning of April 1st, the unexpected partnership quickly went viral, generating thousands of calls inquiring about the World’s Tallest Rainforest Cafe.

Following the success of the joke, the two brands met to explore how to turn the buzz into something more. The decision was made to host an exclusive pop-up event on the Empire State Building’s 86th floor, replicating the fictional restaurant.

We teased the pop-up through a series of posts across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, featuring Rainforest Café’s mascot, Cha!Cha!, at the ESB. The event featured limited-edition Rainforest Café x ESB merchandise and a curated menu of the restaurant’s most popular dishes, bringing the playful collaboration to life for fans and visitors.

 

Results

The World’s Tallest Rainforest Cafe at the Empire State Building drove 299k users to the ESB website and sold 23.5k tickets. The viral joke and pop up in total earned 43.43M impressions, 14.35M users reached, and 5,151 total mentions on social media. Additionally, the collaboration earned 1.78B total media impressions, $3.3M advertising value equivalency, and 87 media placements.

Media

Entrant Company / Organization Name

Empire State Building and Rainforest Cafe

Links

Entry Credits