Part of the 50th Anniversary Rite Retirement Series, celebrating the retirement of Rita Gilligan MBE, one of the early waitresses to join the Hard Rock Cafe London team, the year the brand was founded, and longtime brand ambassador, after 50 years of service. Each pin in the series features Rita with her trademark red hair and white uniform, posing in front of a local scene and wearing or holding one or more locally themed acessories.
The pins are sold on a special red backing card featuring an outline drawing of Rita with her left hand displaying the 'rock on' hand signal. The Hard Rock 50th Anniversary logo is at the bottom left of the card in gold and to the right of the logo, across the rest of the bottom of the card is Rita's name; 'Rita Gilligan, MBE' in white lettering. (MBE stands for 'Member of the Order of the British Empire' and is a UK honour awarded to people who have made a positive impact in their line of work.)
The Hard Rock Cafe London Piccadilly Circus pin shows Rita standing face on with both arms held up, on the right of the pin as you look at it, with the Shaftesbury memorial Fountain topped by the statue of Anteros (commonly mis-named as Eros) and the lights of Piccadilly Circus behind her. With both hands she is displaying the 'rock on' hand signal. She appears to be wearing a blue hat with a bow on its right side. She is also wearing a black lanyard and a red and yellow scarf, both adorned with Hard Rock pins. The letters MBE in red capitals are on her right chest, just below the shoulder. As you look at the pin, an old style lamp post and lamp is at the left edge, and a Hard Rock logo is placed at the bottom right.
The back of the pin is gold in appearance with a design of crossed horizontal and vertical guitars interspersed with Hard Rock logos. A four line text box has a first line reading 'Limited Edition 300'. A guitar pick shaped hologram authenticates the pin as a genuine Hard Rock product.
The pin went on retail sale on 16 June 2021 price £12.45.
