Coopers Brewery is launching a virtual pub initiative called Live, Loud & Local to help the on-premise and their patrons get through the current COVID-19 shutdown.
Live, Loud & Local will run for an hour on Friday and Saturday nights, offering entertainment from some of Australia’s leading comedians, musicians, chefs and MCs.
The virtual pub project is being coordinated through a central website – www.cooperslocal.com.au – and will be hosted by Joel Creasey and Myf Warhurst (pictured main).
This Friday for the opening night, celebrity chef Shannon Bennett will teach audiences how to make pub favourite meals at home.
Coopers is partnering with key hotels across Australia, which are “virtually” opening their doors to host the events. Pubs include Leonard’s House of Love in Melbourne, Coopers Original Ale House in Adelaide, the Sandbar in Perth, The Great Northern in Byron Bay, the Coogee Bay Hotel in Sydney and the Storey Bridge Hotel in Brisbane.
Live, Loud & Local will showcase some of Australia’s top entertainers and direct people to the Facebook pages of their local pubs. All gigs will be interactive with prizes to be won each night.
Coopers will give away jugs of beer and meals at pubs, redeemable when they re-open. Viewers are encouraged to order takeaway meals from local pubs that are offering the service while the shows are on.
Coopers is also supporting its pubs and other customers by encouraging the return of kegs from trade for a refund, at a cost of nearly $4 million.
Additionally, it is working with customers to provide tangible support when pubs reopen their doors.
Cam Pearce, Coopers Director of Marketing and Innovation, said: “As we watched our partners in hospitality and the arts respond to Coronavirus, we were inspired by their tenacity and willingness to overcome the challenges it presented. “
From pubs pivoting to bottle-shops and takeaway restaurants, to comedians and musicians moving on-line, we wanted to create a platform where we could highlight and celebrate their tenacity to innovate and succeed.”
Pearce said the web platform would provide hotels with an opportunity to connect with their customers during the shutdown.
“Coopers has a long history of supporting the arts industry with sponsorships of events such as the Adelaide Fringe, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and the Malthouse Theatre,” he said.
Live, Loud & Local is supported by Live Nation Entertainment and Events division.
Mark Catsburg from Leonards House of Love in Melbourne said his venue was thrilled to be involved in the virtual pub project.
“We’re usually a place that provides relief or entertainment for our locals and we still want to do that during this pandemic,” he said.
“It’s a great way to remain connected to our regulars and the security of some footfall when the doors’ re-open.”
The first edition of Live Loud & Local will commence at 8 pm this Friday, Australian Eastern Time. From next week it will run on Friday and Saturday nights.
Coopers joins fellow brewers Lion – which has launched Support Your Local – and CUB – which has launched For The Love Of Your Local – in supporting the on-premise during this difficult time.
