The Sony Ericsson Open, the annual tennis tournament that concludes Sunday, expanded its village of sponsorship tents this year in an effort to appeal to the thousands of local and international spectators in town for the two-week competition. Some of the bigger contributing brands included Sony, which demonstrated its new Xperia smartphone; Lindor Truffles, which offered free milk-chocolate handouts; and Sheets, which passed samples of its new tongue-dissolving energy and sleep-aid sheets.
Also on hand was champagne brand Veuve Clicquot, which hosted an on-site champagne and sushi lounge called Serve Veuve, providing a break from the match action and refuge from sometimes grueling sun. The pop-up lounge offered champagne bottle service and sips by the flute, while local chain Sushi Maki provided a menu of freshly made rolls and signature bites from a sushi bar.
Decor and flowers by Javier Pastrana of Just to Please You were maintained throughout the two-week period. White phalaenopsis orchids sat in "Veuve Clicq’ups," the brand’s new, origami-inspired portable champagne buckets that were scattered across a mixture of bar-top, high-top, and low-top seating. White cushioned sofas with plush white and “Clicquot yellow” logo pillows provided space to sit, while tall cylindrical vases filled with Veuve-yellow tennis balls accented the showcase. Veuve Clicquot bottles hung above the bar, dangling from specially made, dandy-inspired umbrella handles in the pronounced yellow shade.
Guests could opt to sit and sip champagne outside, where the space spilled out onto the asphalt, oversize beach umbrellas offered extra shade, and misters and fans provided relief from the heat. Or they could watch the tennis inside, where an Astroturf-covered wall behind the bar held two flat-screen televisions showing the event.
