SAVANNAH, GA.—As of late March, spring has been in full bloom—but Ashley HomeStore got a head start on the season with its “Spring Boldly” campaign event, which took place March 12 at HollyOaks on the Marsh, an estate-turned-venue nestled in the marshes of Savannah, Georgia.The furniture brand welcomed content creators and their plus-ones to a garden-party-themed brunch, complete with an over-the-top spread, vibrant floral accents and a showcase of Ashley’s spring collection.
Carolina Ribble, the senior marketing manager, brand activation, at Ashley, told BizBash that the event was in conjunction with the brand’s “experiential seasonal strategy, (where) we work to find new, immersive ways to integrate our products into memorable experiences that align with seasons.” Cue the on-site vignettes of Ashley’s outdoor living sets, including neutral-toned lounge chairs and couches accented with pink-toned and fun, fuzzy pillows as well as accessories such as serving trays atop ottomans and colored glassware. The seating set-ups outfitted a corner of the estate’s backyard and were enclosed by a 800-square-foot tent, courtesy of one-stop-rental-shop Amazing Event Rentals.
The decor was curated to “inspire guests to refresh their current spaces to reflect the new season,” Ribble said, highlighting that “spring provides us with the opportunity to refresh our personal style.” Ashley’s design experts aimed to highlight not only the furniture, which the brand is already known so well for, but also the “rugs, pillows and tabletop decor that can transform anyone’s space to be seasonally relevant.”
Hewitt Oaks was tapped to truly put the “Spring” into the event's “Spring Boldly” theme, which it did with floral arches, bouquets and tablescapes made of brightly colored roses, burnt-orange tulips, blue hydrangeas and lush greenery. Ribble credited these additions to bringing Ashley’s vignettes to life, “making the moments engaging and Instagram-worthy.”
The South Carolina-based full-service event design and catering company also handled F&B for the invite-only event, welcoming guests with a mimosa bar complete with orange, cranberry and mango juice, Champagne and fresh berries. Hewitt Oaks then curated a sit-down brunch that started with a melon carpaccio fruit salad and followed up with a dual entree of eggs benedict and pecan-praline French toast.
A custom charcuterie-style breakfast table by locally based Sarandipity Fare—consisting of a selection of bagels and spreads, meats, cheeses, muffins, fresh berries and nuts—was also available for the 36 guests to graze on as they mingled throughout the tented space.
The intimacy of the event’s guest list was perfect for Ribble, who noted Ashley HomeStore’s goal in hosting the brunch was both “to inspire guests to shop Ashley’s spring products (and to) drive brand awareness and social engagement.” After hosting the nearly four dozen social media influencers, the brand measured ROIs including “earned media impressions and shoppable content.”
The buds of detail were not to be neglected—from balloons spelling out “Spring Boldly” to stationery (think: menus, table cards and signage), all with Ashley HomeStore’s signature house-outline logo in the bottom right corner. And before bidding adieu, attendees made personalized bath salt blends with Salacia Salts, a clean beauty and skincare brand based out of Savannah.
Keep scrolling to see how Ashley HomeStore sprung boldly (literally) into the new season.