Brief:

• LG Electronics released a video series showing celebrities working together virtually to prepare a holiday meal while demonstrating the brand's appliances, per an announcement. The first group of videos in the "Homestyle" digital series is now available at LG's website and YouTube channel, while the second batch will be released next month.
• Each episode shows personalities from the "LG Homestyle Squad" — which includes Alex Rodriguez, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Billy Porter and 2Chainz — preparing food and drinks in their own kitchens while talking to each other off-screen. As they share tips, they also demonstrate appliances including LG InstaView refrigerators and ranges and the LG QuadWash dishwasher with a steam-cleaning feature.
• LG is offering people a chance to win a "virtual hangout" with their favorite celebrity from the series. To enter, people can share their preferred recipes on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or Twitter and tag their personality of choice by Nov. 25. The campaign aligns with other marketers' efforts to build a sense of online connection or community amid the pandemic — something that could grow in importance as the holidays near.

Insight:

LG Electronics is showcasing its newest line of kitchen appliances with a celebrity-packed series that's more likely to reach younger consumers on its website and YouTube. The product demonstrations of its refrigerator, dishwasher and range are integrated with conversations that are edited in a way to make them look fluid.

The series includes "hands in pans" videos similar to those seen on popular recipe sites like BuzzFeed's Tasty, with each celebrity showing off a signature dish. The content marketing push aims to show that people can still "get together" during the holidays while social distancing, a theme that's consistent with current events as many ponder spending the season away from family and friends during the pandemic.

Consumers are likely to remain cautious about their holiday plans even as lockdowns ease, and that wariness will be reflected in campaigns that brands develop. During the outbreak, consumers have expected brands acknowledge current events and demonstrate how they help people cope with the disruptions. LG's series recognizes this reality, but approaches the situation in a lighthearted way that also seizes on the boom in at-home cooking.

More than three quarters (77%) of consumers said they want advertising to "talk about how the brand is helpful in the new everyday life," while 75% said brands should "inform about their efforts to face the situation," researcher Kantar found in a March survey. As the pandemic continues to disrupt people's daily lives, brands are likely to continue showing how they help people, as seen with LG's "Homestyle" campaign.

LG is the latest brand to feature tips for home entertainment as people spend more time preparing their own meals during the pandemic. More than half (55%) of consumers said they're eating at home more often since the pandemic began, while 35% have developed a newfound passion for cooking, sales and marketing agency Acosta found in a survey.

To connect with those consumers, brands as varied as Cholula Hot Sauce, Lamps Plus, McCormick, Rubbermaid, Sabra, Shake Shack and Stella Artois have run campaigns featuring cooking demonstrations with celebrities, influencers and chefs.