Al Cassell rode his namesake burger haunt into Los Angeles lore. Over many decades, his Koreatown grill was sought out, visited, and praised by critics across the country. However, nothing gold can stay, and as he faded and eventually passed away, so to did his brand. Suddenly, in this present-day era where the hamburger commands press, lists, maps, and presence, Cassell’s Hamburgers was MIA. Then in 2014, the owners of the resurgent Hotel Normandie (in the middle of its own transformation) made plans to revive the diner within its historic digs.

JWA was tapped to tell the story of Cassell’s Hamburgers and frame this a culinary comeback led by LA burger sevant Christian Page. By way of a strong opening campaign that touched on each element

Key Initiatives + Messaging

• Painting the legendary story of the diner’s original creator, Al Cassell

• Positioning Christian Page as the hamburger maestro capable of bringing back the legend

• Creating launch events and stunts to maximize publicity – including a 99¢ Rollback and Whole Steer Grind

• Highlighting its new location within the Hotel Normandie

• Preserving the process: house-ground, double broiled!

Hungry yet?