Little Red Rooster has a long history of hosting successful launches for Italian legend – Smeg; but in March 2020, an event with celebrity chef Theo Randall to unveil the brand’s forthcoming ‘Vivo’ collection of ovens was thrown into jeopardy due to the COVID-19 lockdown crisis. PR strategies were completely overhauled in the wake of the pandemic, meaning a physical event at Smeg’s Regent Street store was unfortunately cancelled at the last minute. The Vivo launch marks one of the most pivotal in Smeg’s product calendar – so we needed a new approach. Fast.

A quick U-turn meant Little Red Rooster had to adapt its approach to bring news of the launch to the UK press. We soon put the wheels in motion to host a virtual cooking demonstration for media to enjoy while staying safe at home.

We kept Smeg’s personal, approachable touch by working closely alongside the brand’s chief home economist, Clare Edwards. With Clare, we devised a menu which put the Vivo ovens front and centre, showing off each and every unique element that makes the product so special – from the Sous Vide drawer to cook succulent meat dishes to the smart touch-control screen which guarantees perfect results at the click of a button. Of course, there was a technical element to the event to ensure it ran smoothly with no hiccups. The decision was made to host the session on video-calling platform Zoom, with a professional film crew hired – at a safe social distance – to record the event for future use and training.

Finally, we know the press – and we couldn’t think of anything worse than a Smeg event without a cocktail or canape! So, we delivered full-size portions of Smeg’s very own Lambrusco wine and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese from its farm, Montecoppe, in the Guastallaregion of Italy for guests to tuck into during the demo, followed by a homemade Panettone cake – perfectly baked by Clare herself. Bellissimo!

It turns out virtual events are rather a success; 60 guests joined us online for the hour-long workshop, representing titles such as Wallpaper*, House & Garden, Homes & Gardens, Livingetc, Elle Decoration, T3, WIRED, Grand Designs, Essential Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom, Kitchens, Bedrooms & Bathrooms, BBC Good Food, Stuff, Enki, Red, Good Housekeeping, House Beautiful and Country Homes & Interiors, to name just a handful. Phew!

For a relatively low cost, it highlighted how brands can still get their products front of mind without the need for a costly event. This was evident in the numerous glowing reviews we received from press within a few short minutes of the event taking place.  More importantly, it certified how the agency’s nimble approach and stellar contacts can guarantee a knock-out event even in the shortest of lead times.