Aubergine feeling festive after Harewood House 2026 press office win

We’re feeling rather festive here at Aubergine as we’ve been appointed to run the press office for Harewood House Trust throughout 2026 after a successful campaign for Christmas.

We’ve so far secured 75 pieces of coverage in regional and national media outlets for the event, including BBC, The Sun and The Telegraph in less than three months. 

Harewood’s brief was to drum up head-turning coverage for Harewood’s 2025 Christmas event, A Glittering Invitation: Harewood’s Grand Christmas Ball. It features opulent decor and “amped up” Regency aesthetic evocative of the smash hit Netflix series Bridgerton - and includes a stunning 18ft Christmas tree made of 700 second hand ballerina tutus in the Entrance Hall.

The 18th century country house worked with BBC Interior Design Masters finalist, Siobhan Murphy over 18 months to source thousands of exquisite objects from Vinted, car boot sales and charity shops to create what she calls “a feast for the senses”.

We developed a series of press releases; including one in September to “tease” what the event would look like, which saw BBC Look North filming Siobhan and the Harewood volunteers hard at work creating Christmas tree decorations from scratch. Then once Siobhan had fully dressed the House, we worked with Harewood to stage a very special media preview event which saw 14 journalists and celebrities attending.

The success of the campaign led Harewood’s marketing department to appoint us to oversee their busy press office throughout 2026.

Commenting on Aubergine’s appointment, Harewood House Trust Marketing Manager April Skipp said: “Aubergine was top of my list when I was looking for an agency to help launch our 2026 Christmas event and we haven’t been disappointed. Their journalistic backgrounds have really shone through as it’s very clear they know what makes a story and a news headline. 

“We’re thrilled to have them running our press office for next year - not only will they be the main contact for all journalist enquiries, but they’ll also launch the various exhibitions we will have on throughout the year. They’ll also help launch our Christmas experience for 2026.”

Emma Gardner, former BBC and Channel 4 News journalist and co-founder of Aubergine, said: “It goes without saying that working with Harewood is nothing short of a career highlight not just for myself but for the whole Aubergine team. I studied history at university and I’m passionate about travel - so being appointed not only to oversee the PR for Harewood at Christmas but also lead their press office for 2026, has literally been a dream come true.”

Tickets are on sale for Harewood’s Christmas experience A Glittering Invitation: Harewood's Grand Christmas Ball from Saturday 8 November 2025 to Sunday 4 January 2026. To book, head to http://harewood.org/christmas

For the full spectrum of Christmas events on at Harewood this year including the chance to meet Father Christmas, see this document.

The trio of wins comes off the back of a strong year for Aubergine which specialises in food, tech, health and sustainability PR. The team work as a remote agency across the UK and as former journalists, they are known for blending sharp media instincts with creative campaigns that drive real results.

You can follow Aubergine on Instagram @weareaubergine

PR and the Power of Christmas in July: Why Food and Lifestyle Brands Need to Act Now

If you're a food or lifestyle brand hoping to be featured in Christmas gift guides, festive food spreads, or seasonal lifestyle roundups, the time to act is now. While it may still be summer, in the world of media and PR, ‘Christmas in July’ is a crucial deadline - and missing this window could mean missing out on the biggest press opportunities of the year.

At Aubergine, we’re a boutique PR agency specialising in food and lifestyle PR, content and communications. We’ve helped brands secure standout coverage in national magazines, weekend supplements, and top digital titles - and we know exactly what it takes to get festive features right.

What is ‘Christmas in July’?

‘Christmas in July’ refers to the time when long-lead publications - monthly magazines and seasonal specials - begin planning their Christmas content. Media titles such as Good Housekeeping, BBC Good Food, Stylist, and Red typically work three to six months in advance. That means by the time autumn arrives, most festive content is already finalised.

So, while your customers might be browsing BBQs and summer salads, journalists are curating their Christmas food roundups, gift guides, and lifestyle features.

Why you need to appoint a PR agency now

If your brand wants to appear in those glossy pages and online gift lists, the time to get your Christmas PR strategy in motion is right now. Here’s what working with Aubergine looks like:

• Strategic planning: We’ll identify your most PR-worthy products and shape a seasonal strategy that aligns with what media are looking for

• Press materials: We’ll craft high-impact, media-ready press releases filled with strong festive hooks - and make sure you have high-res imagery such as cut-out press shots and lifestyle images ready to go

• Pitching to media in July: We pitch your products to our extensive network of journalists and editors, targeting features that drive traffic, brand awareness, and sales. We are former journalists ourselves and product placement experts, so our “black book” of contacts is unparalleled

• Samples coordination: Many editors request samples to review or shoot - we handle logistics to make sure your products get in front of the right eyes. We can even work with you on ideas for creative sampling and so-called “desk drops” to make sure you stand out from the crowd

What kind of products work?

We specialise in PR for brands across food, drink, health and wellness and lifestyle. Whether it’s festive hampers, home fragrance, indulgent sweet treats or stocking fillers, if it belongs on a Christmas list, we can pitch it - and often, land it.

Take a look at some of the brands we’ve helped shine during the festive season over on our Work page.

Don’t miss the Christmas window

Missing the Christmas in July pitching window means missing the opportunity to appear in the most influential issues of the year. PR coverage in seasonal media boosts trust, awareness, visibility, and eventually, sales - but only if you’re prepared.

Appointing a PR agency by the first week of July means there’s time to turnaround a press release quickly and start pitching it out.

Want your brand featured in this year’s Christmas media? Get in touch with the team at Aubergine and let’s start planning your festive PR campaign as soon as possible.