WHEN people think of champagne, the beverage's bubbles come to mind. So it's no surprise that Miami-based Touch Catering played up the fizz factor at Veuve Clicquot Bubble Bath, the opening event for this year's South Beach Food and Wine Festival in Miami.
Held at the chic Hotel Victor in February, the branding event sparkled thanks to design elements that highlighted the luxurious reputation of the famed champagne. The event team's goal in producing the event was to “tie in an experience that conveys what the Veuve Clicquot brand stands for, while introducing a new event to the South Beach Wine and Food Festival,” explains Shai Zelering, Touch Catering's director of operations. “In essence, the message was that you don't have to wait for New Year's or Valentine's Day to enjoy Veuve Clicquot — {you} can indulge in this brand on every occasion, even when taking a bath.”
Veuve Clicquot's signature “Yellow Label” provided the inspiration for the event decor. The 650 guests entered the venue, the hotel's spa, through a hallway lined with custom yellow-orange carpets and drapes. On either side of the entryway, models wearing citrus-hued bikinis sat in bubble-filled antique bathtubs, which were painted in the signature color and featured gold claw feet and faucets. Inside, models sporting robes and turbans passed out champagne-filled flutes. Two custom-designed bars made from bathtubs offered even more champagne, while ice sculptures shaped like bathtubs provided an eye-catching way to chill bottles of bubbly.
For entertainment, acts from Amsterdam, Los Angeles and New York keep guests entertained, including the Latin Grammy-nominated Spam Allstars band. An event highlight was a synchronized swimming performance in the hotel's pool; the swimmers included bottles of Veuve Clicquot in the show, which ended with the performers getting out of the pool and serving champagne to the audience.
With all that free-flowing champagne, the evening's branding efforts were a big success, Zelering says, building buzz for the Veuve Clicquot brand among festival guests, the media and the Miami event scene.
Touch Catering 910 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, FL 33139; 305/606-2116; www.touchcatering.com
