The article was written by Emily Stubbins, Executive Brand Strategy Director at Hyperquake, USA

In a recent conversation among colleagues – sparked, in part, by the release of the new “Avengers” movie – an interesting subject came up: If you had to choose the ultimate business super power, what would it be? Big budgets, global reach, an innovation pipeline full to bursting, a PR machine capable of generating positive press 24/7?  Without hesitation, I answered “agility.”

While the Stella Artois lager brand is celebrating cinema spirit with its promotional initiatives ahead of the Cannes Film Festival, Grolsch has stepped into the art-house filmmaking world with its Grolsch Film Works production platform, doing its part in supporting independent movies. The Dutch beer brand, which launched the platform back in April 2011, last fall announced that a new film, which was to merge creative visions of three directors (from Russia, Poland and the USA) went under production. The new experimental film titled ‘The Fourth Dimension,’ funded by Grolsch and created in partnership with Vice Films, finally premiered last weekend at the San Francisco International Film Festival.

As a long-time sponsor of the Cannes Film Festival, each spring Stella Artois launches a new activity dedicated to the major film event. Earlier this month, the lager brand offered its UK consumers an opportunity to watch a film online by entering a code from a promotional pack, and now it’s inviting its fans from around the globe to visit the virtual Stella Artois Cannes Cinema Club, which is “designed to support exceptional cinema, provide unique cinematic experiences and ultimately keep the sophistication and beauty of cinema alive.”


Have your say, share your thoughts on the article written by David Rogers, owner of packaging and brand design consultancy
We Are Pure, UK

With trading conditions still relatively tough, many packaging design agencies are fighting it out to win the lucrative big brand contracts. But, is it wise to focus all of their attention in this area, and is there actually anything to be gained from working with those who are yet to make their mark?