FM 2023 complete (1) - Flipbook - Page 16
Event Review:
Bang & Olufsen
with Tom Sellers
Words and Pictures – Frank Wainwright
In 2022 the luxury sector saw £286bn in
retail sales. Analysts including Bain and
Company have predicted further growth
in the sector in 2023 of between 3% and
5%. Brands such as LVMH, Richemont,
Moncler and Hermès have lead the way
with share prices on an aggressive
upwards march.
Back in March, FMBE attended an
experience that was ‘bang on’ trend with
a chance to attend a brand experience
principally for Bang & Olufsen. It had an
exclusive price tag for a ticket.
The event, put together by agency
Undercurrent was presented at
Smallbone Luxury Pavilion, Knightsbridge
with an intimate cinema screening on the
Bang & Olufsen kit alongside a menu
from two Michelin starred chef Tom
Sellers. Fredericia furniture also got a
place on the promotional bill.
booth on our night, guests had been given
a place. It is a factor that barely matters
in terms of the experience level required
though because once the price had been
announced the event needed to live up to
that level. We duly set our expectations
to high.
For that quality experience step forwards
Tom Sellers and the service team. This
would need to be a seamless multisensory experience, food with stunning
visual appeal that would not block off the
telly, taste that would energise the whole
experience and service that would flow in
and out without disturbing those smooth
Beosound waves.
This was achieved. Highlights of the
menu, scallop ceviche, citrus koshu and
wagyu with celeriac and smoked bone
marrow sauce – both definitely delivering
on quality, presentation and flavour. That
beef was an intense flavour. Of course,
The event was priced at £275 for the
there were dietary options too and these
screening, tasting menu and wine flight,
also impressed. A warm lobster roll was
or £1200 to block out a booth hosting a
a little less extraordinary, but it had
group of 5. The movies were screened
enough substance to make sure we didn’t
across 2 weeks and were chosen to show
leave hungry. The staff, both at the bar
off the sound and visuals. Elvis, Top Gun:
and serving were eloquent and
Maverick and Bohemian Rhapsody were
knowledgeable where that was needed
screened.
and subtle and efficient whilst the film
We went to Elvis. This movie did look and was showing. I’m a foodie not a wine buff,
sound wonderful via the “Beosound
but the pairings all seemed to work well
Theatre’s immersive sound and
and the English sparkling wine offered on
unparalleled Scandi Design”. I did think arrival really made the occasion start with
that it was interesting to reflect that
sharply dry refreshed palate.
those wealthy enough to afford Beosound
Smallbone too was a fine location for
at home and to furnish the front room
this. This theatrical retail space is
with such exclusivity would likely want to
populated with some eye-catching
watch such unexclusive crowd-pleasing
metallic sculptures. This showroom
everyman content on it.
clearly had a mastercraftsman-meetsI’m not sure whether on other nights the contemporary brief. In the classy vs gaudy
tickets were all paid up or if, as with our stakes, it erred on the classy side with
the sparkly sculptures offsetting the
brown and marble tones elsewhere. The
venue was beautifully lit and spaced for
this experience, safe to move around in
and without the various viewing booths
disturbing the others.
performer, so his voice became more and
more rewarding.
This film is one with some nasal accents.
On normal kit I might have wanted
subtitles, but with the clarity of
production I could understand them. The
We left Knightsbridge thoroughly pleased Elvis movie is also full of snatched
background asides that you are not
with our night out. This was an
necessarily meant to hear the actual
experience with admirable attention to
words, just nuance the meaning. It was
detail and which left participants fully
great to be able to watch this film getting
immersed. The quality of the chef was
all of that.
the highlight for me, whilst our booth
companions loved the sound tech. It was
Whilst I am not in the demographic for
certainly a sensorially overwhelming mix
the luxury products we heard, a
sipping wine whilst hearing Elvis at his
Beosound Explore portable speaker is
most sonorous. In the film, as Elvis grows
something I’ll have a listen to ahead of
into a more and more seasoned
Christmas.
De’Longhi Tour for new MD Orr
De’Longhi, the leading brand in domestic coffee
The tour includes Dublin, where De’Longhi is
machines has been brand experience tour with TRO. thrilled to participate in Taste of Dublin
Taking place in nine cities across the UK and
Ireland, the tour kicked off in Covent Garde. The
De’Longhi City Tour aims to captivate the nation
and showcase the remarkable cold brew and cold
coffee features of the new Eletta Explore and La
Specialista Maestro bean-to-cup coffee machines.
De’Longhi is also launched a TikTok-based
influencer campaign, titled Cold Brew Confessions,
to inspire the younger generation of coffee lovers.
The 7-week De’Longhi City Tour aimed to serve
42,000 samples of fresh bean-to-cup coffee over
the duration of the 9-city experiential campaign.
14
Summer 2023
TRO, De’Longhi’s appointed experiential marketing
partner, have designed and produced the City Tour
creative concept, are managing all logistics and
providing in-house local brand ambassadors to help
amplify the consumer experience throughout the
tour.
The Tour got underway just a few months into the
stewardship of new TRO MD Andrew Orr.
An interview with Andrew (February 19th) and the
full news story (May 19th ) are available on
fieldmarketing.com