Case Study: L’Oréal Virtual At The Races

L’Oréal | Virtual Event | 200+ Participants

The Brief

L’Oréal approached Big Smoke Events looking for a large-scale, team-based virtual experience for over 200 members of their sales team. Timed to coincide with the Grand National, the brief was to create an event that captured the excitement of race day while bringing teams together in a fun, engaging and inclusive way – wherever they were based.

The team wanted something competitive, highly interactive and, importantly, fully branded to reflect L’Oréal’s iconic portfolio.

The Solution

We delivered a Virtual At The Races experience, transforming screens into a buzzing racecourse atmosphere.

To elevate the event further, L’Oréal fully “sponsored” each of the six races, with individual brands brought to life through bespoke logos, graphics and branding integrated directly into our software. Each race became a branded moment – including crowd favourites such as The Algaster Cup, sponsored by Garnier.

The personalisation didn’t stop there. All eight horses were named on-brand, with standouts including Because I’m Worth It and Maybe She’s Born With It, adding humour, recognition and an extra layer of competitiveness for the teams.

Many participants embraced the theme wholeheartedly, donning their finest race-day hats and outfits, helping to create an electric atmosphere despite the virtual setting.

The Result

The event delivered a high-energy, memorable virtual experience that successfully brought together a large, dispersed team. The combination of competition, brand immersion and shared moments created genuine excitement and engagement throughout.

By aligning the event with the Grand National and fully customising the experience to L’Oréal’s brands, the Virtual At The Races event felt personal, relevant and special – proving that virtual team events can still deliver big atmosphere, strong connection and plenty of fun.