PONSONBY, Today: A South Australia-themed cellar door event at Mr Tom’s bar on Ponsonby Rd – organised by Boyd PR Auckland – involved a full transformation of the bar into a Barossa Valley cellar door, and included cooking masterclasses with MasterChef judge Gary Mehigan, and plenty of social media and media coverage on the back of it.
The recent weekend-long pop up, organised and run by Boyd PR on behalf of the South Australian Tourism Commission, showcased the state’s artisan producers, boutique gin, wine and craft brewers to Aucklanders.
The opening day of the event featured two masterclasses hosted by Gary Mehigan who also appeared in a series of live crosses on TVNZ Breakfast on the morning of the event.
“After spending a travel week in South Australia during the latest season of MasterChef, Mehigan was the perfect spokesperson for the region known for its fresh produce and beverages,” said Boyd PR GM Scott Kara.
“MasterChef judge Gary Mehigan was the perfect spokesperson for the region known for its fresh produce and beverages.”
Mr Tom’s director, James Ace, says the South Australia event set a new standard for pop ups – from the complete transformation of the venue to the involvement of Mehigan as brand ambassador.
“It really did transport everyone who came through the door to South Australia – and having the star power of Gary cooking at the restaurant added huge weight to the event in terms of the media and social media coverage which ultimately translated into customers,” he said.
“We were packed from mid-afternoon on Friday, and the intrigue continued into the weekend with the Barossa Valley wines and cheeseboards being very popular. There was also a lot of chat and excitement floating around about Gary cooking here on Friday.”
The South Australia Pop Up Cellar Door took customers on a sensory trip around the state with gin distilled on Kangaroo Island, craft beer from McLaren Vale and wine produced in the Barossa Valley.
The long table platter, which customers grazed on during opening day on Friday, included artisan cheeses from the Adelaide Hills, Maggie Beer condiments from the Barossa, and dried fruits and nuts from the Fleurieu Peninsula.
CREDITS
Client: South Australian Tourism Commission
South Australian Tourism Commission, NZ Regional Manager: Stacey Kerr
Agency: Boyd PR
Project lead: Annabel Herbison
Managing Director: John Boyd
General Manager: Scott Kara
Production assistant and design: Bianca Fisher
Account support: Sophie Sager
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