September 2, 2023 – Another unique promotion from the restaurant that does things differently – look out for your Message in a Bottle from Gariful on Hvar.
Some restaurants do it differently…
There can’t be many on the Adriatic, for example, who have received the ultimate gift from the celebrity guests – a guitar signed by none other than Jon Bon Jovi after a fine fish dinner.
Or had famous YouTuber Joe Sugg swimming with sharks in the aquarium under the restaurant floor, a video which has been watched over 4.5 million times, more than any other video about Hvar.
I have been following the Gariful story on Hvar for about 12 years now, ever since I started my Total Hvar blog back in 2011. The restaurant has quietly expanded its portfolio over the years into a sushi bar, dessert spot, big game fishing, and luxury accommodation to name a few, and there has always been an innovative edge to the marketing.
Marketing and quality fish that have brought in many a celebrity over the years – with or without guitar – including Bono, Bon Jovi, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Goldie Hawn, Prince of Monaco, Tommy Hilfiger, Charlize Theron, and Rod Stewart, as well as enough top footballers to fill an entire World Cup football squad.
After another successful peak season, the Gariful marketing machine has come up with a new way to connect luxury dining with the sea – a giveaway of 100 geat prizes in its new Message in a Bottle initiative. From the Gariful Facebook page:
Hello, fellow food and adventure enthusiasts,
Get ready for an upcoming sea-bound treasure hunt that will sweep you off your feet! We’re excited to announce our plans to release 100 special bottles into the ocean, each holding a unique dining experience at Gariful and Sushi Gariful G spot. The best part? One lucky bottle will carry the ULTIMATE grand prize. There will be 25 bottles each released from near Hvar, Dubrovnik, Zadar and Rijeka.
The Prizes:
Grand Prize: A 3-day dream getaway with luxurious accommodation at Villa Gariful and dinners at our renowned restaurants!
99 Bottles: Each bottle holds a free dinner at either Gariful or Sushi Gariful G spot.
Stay Tuned for the Adventure:
Keep an eye on our page for an upcoming video that will capture the exhilarating moment when we’re planning to release the bottles into the sea. You won’t want to miss this epic culinary journey!
How to Participate:
1. Watch for the video release on our page.
2. If you spot one of our special bottles, get ready to share the excitement! Capture a video or snap a picture.
3. Tag us @restaurantgarifulhvar and use #GarifulMessageInABottle in your post.
4. Share your video with us on WhatsApp at +385989160173 to claim your exclusive prize!
Save the Date:
Stay tuned for the video release, and get ready to be part of this exceptional adventure!
Visit https://www.hvar-gariful.hr to learn more about our restaurants.
For details about Villa Gariful, explore https://villa-gariful.com/hr/.
Get ready to embark on a culinary journey like no other
As you can see from the Gariful Facebook page, the majority of the bottles are being released by local celebrities and boat skippers, close to the shore. All are bobbling on top of the water, waiting to be washed up on a beach or spotted by sailors out on the Adriatic.
And there are already winners, with RIchard Ring the first to find a bottle and discover his prize inside (see the video below).
Other winners have been appearing…
Almost all of the bottles which have been released into the sea have been found within a couple of hours by the lucky winners in front of beaches like the famous Zlatni Rat on Bol. In a cool marketing video, one bottle was retrieved off the coast of Sicily, but it did not swim from Hvar, but was released locally as a joke/promo (see below).
A condition of winning is that winners must bring the bottle, cork and message to the restaurant to keep the sea clean. Winners send a video and message via WhatsApp to the Gariful team to then claim and book their prize.
You can follow progress of the competition on the Gariful Facebook page. And if you are on the beach or sailing on the Adriatic, keep your eyes open for your very own message in a bottle and a wonderful dinner – or more – on Hvar awaits.
Although the season is winding down, there is still a lot more to come from Gariful and the sea, including the excellent Peskafondo squid and big game fishing contest in the autumn – a truly fabulous and unexpected event at the end of the season – see the CROMADS experience below.
