There Is No Such Thing As A Lucky Strike

Client: Hollywood Bowl

Hollywood Bowl, the UK’s leading ten-pin bowling operator, faced a familiar leisure sector challenge: how to drive demand outside peak periods. Rather than follow competitors into crowded holiday marketing windows, Smithfield turned to audio to own the quieter moments: cold months, pre-holiday lulls, and weekends in need of family fun.

For over a decade, Smithfield has made radio the backbone of Hollywood Bowl’s media strategy - leveraging its unique ability to reach families on the move, especially during the school run. The campaign featured: - A consistent and memorable voice artist since 2013 - The distinctive sound of skittles in every spot - The upbeat, inclusive sign-off: “Come Play” - Tactically deployed local and national spots - Cinematic sound design built to evoke joy and anticipation

This long-term, data-driven strategy made radio a true performance channel: +40% customer uplift in exposed vs. control centres 164% higher ROAS than OOH, cinema or print £1.7 million revenue directly attributed to radio

32% recall – more than double the category average for non-digital channels

Smithfield’s approach shows how audio, when creatively and commercially harnessed, can do more than build brands - it can drive measurable business growth. This was no lucky strike. It was sound strategy, flawlessly delivered.