City Grill Group featured in the global top of digital creativity with "Șpriț de vară," a campaign created for Hanu’ lui Manuc
<h3>The City Grill restaurant group, one of the most prominent local players in the HoReCa industry, has been included in the prestigious "200 Best Digital Artists 2025" ranking by Lürzer’s Archive, one of the most acclaimed international publications in the creative industry. The award-winning campaign – Șpriț de vară (Summer Spritz) – was developed for Hanu’ lui Manuc in collaboration with the Homemade agency and artist and photographer Mihai Vladimir Anton (Mișa).</h3>

<p>Lürzer’s Archive is one of the most respected global publications dedicated to creativity in advertising. Its selections – made by an international jury – focus not only on fresh ideas but also on the mastery of execution and attention to detail. The annual "200 Best Digital Artists" ranking brings together artists who redefine the standards of digital visuals.</p>

<p>Targeting an audience aged 25 to 35, the campaign aimed to bring together different types of Hanu’ lui Manuc customers, blending relaxation, history, and fair prices into a single picture – all in a visual style that breaks away from traditional HoReCa communication patterns.</p>

<p>The campaign stemmed from a simple yet resonant insight: in the summer, you can enjoy a spritz with friends at a restaurant steeped in tradition and authentic atmosphere. Hanu’ lui Manuc remains an accessible, welcoming place with a history that reinvents itself for each generation.</p>

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<p>“This distinction serves as significant validation for the direction we are heading in: creative communication rooted in local identity and meaning. This campaign was about people, about timeless places, and about how we can highlight them without clichés. We’re thrilled to be included in a benchmark ranking like Lürzer’s. For 2025, City Grill Group aims to continue investing in creativity and relevant content tailored to each brand in our portfolio. Communication is no longer just about menus or decor – it’s about belonging, authenticity, and emotion. The brands that manage to forge real connections with their audience are the ones that will stay at the top of preferences," said <strong>Ramona Popescu, Head of Marketing, City Grill Group</strong>.</p>
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<p>"We wanted to capture the authentic vibe of Hanu’ without framing it in nostalgic clichés. We used an old photograph as a bridge between past and present, but everything was crafted with the younger generation in mind – a group that values authentic experiences but consumes them visually, in contemporary formats," said <strong>Claudiu Leonte, Creative Director &amp; Partner at Homemade</strong>.</p>
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<p>"The biggest challenge was to visually 'connect' the historical past with the present and convey the traditional atmosphere in a modern way. I tried to use colours that make Hanu’s style instantly recognizable. The entire process required maximum focus because any small oversight could have derailed the concept," added&nbsp;<strong>Mihai Vladimir Anton – Photographer, Art Director, Digital Artist – Anton Advertising &amp; Production</strong>.</p>
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<h3>Hanu’ lui Manuc, a Symbol of Bucharest and a Benchmark of Authentic Hospitality</h3>

<p>Hanu’ lui Manuc is a destination restaurant, a symbol of Bucharest, and a link between its bohemian past and urban present. With over two centuries of history and architecture unique in Eastern Europe, Hanu’ is one of the few historical buildings that have retained their original purpose and authentic charm. Since 2007, under the City Grill Group umbrella, Hanu’ has undergone an extensive restoration and reinterpretation process, becoming a destination for locals, tourists, and lovers of urban stories with flavour.</p>

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<p>"This legacy was also the inspiration for the Șpriț de vară campaign, which brought Hanu’ to the attention of a new audience through a creative approach that blends visual heritage with cutting-edge digital techniques. The Homemade agency came up with the creative idea and leveraged an old photograph as a starting point, while Mihai Anton orchestrated the execution – from pre-production and production to the final composition and digital processing that earned its place in the Lürzer’s selection," added <strong>Ramona Popescu</strong>.</p>
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<h3>About City Grill</h3>

<p>The City Grill Group is the leading Romanian player in the restaurant industry. Founded in 2004, the group currently operates restaurants and cafes under brands such as Caru’ cu Bere, Hanu’ lui Manuc, Pescăruș, Hanu’ Berarilor, Buongiorno.Italian, City Grill, City Grill Family, and City Grill Delivery, as well as La Boheme – its first hotel – and more recent projects like Aubergine, Marty Restaurants, and the Zooma events complex in Corbeanca. From its very first restaurant, City Grill Group has been built on the idea of providing customers with a suitable place to invite a business partner for a meal or a relaxing spot for a lunch break, family time, or gatherings with friends.</p>

<p>Through its locations, City Grill Group caters to urban clients who enjoy spending their free time in the city and scheduling business or personal meetings over coffee. The restaurant menus are affordable and varied, featuring both Romanian and international cuisine.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Whether it’s their iconic recipes or any other dish on the City Grill Group menus, the ingredients used are the best for customers. The "secret" to the food lies in fresh ingredients with carefully controlled and tested origins, free of additives. From hand-peeled and cut fresh fries to cage-free eggs and vegetables grown in the group’s own greenhouse near Târgoviște, the chefs’ philosophy is to bring out the natural flavour of ingredients, enhanced through pairings and simple seasonings like salt and pepper.</p>

<p>Across all City Grill Group restaurants, which serve nearly 15,000 customers daily, oil, glass, cardboard, and plastic are recycled, and food waste is reduced through active campaigns.</p>

<p><em>*This is a Press release.</em></p>