Stella Artois, the beer brand, which traditionally integrates the French cinema aesthetic of the 60s into its advertising projects (the series of ‘She is a thing of beauty’ adverts and the King of Cannes competition are just a few examples), is now digging deeper into the past and pays tribute to the rich over 600-year history of brewing in Belgium, the brand’s motherland. This time, Stella Artois makes the Chalice the key element of the new outdoor advertising campaign in the UK—the iconic beer glass, the signature image of the brand, has been incorporated in the promotional projects before, but it hasn’t been the key image as the ads were rather focusing on the brand’s 9-step pouring ritual and visual style of people and environment.       

Photo: New Stella Artois visuals focusing on Belgian brewing heritage

“Stella Artois has a rich advertising history and so it’s extremely important for us to continue that tradition. Our latest set of adverts leverage the heritage of Stella Artois, both as an experienced brewer and as a traditional Belgian brand, which combined reflects the high quality of our product. Similarly, the image of the chalice also encapsulates the sleek and sophisticated nature of Stella Artois and its products, supporting our position as a premium lager brand. It is this simplicity, along with the strategic placement of the adverts that will ultimately drive the success of the campaign,” commented James Watson, Marketing Director, Stella Artois Western Europe.

The visuals from the campaign by Mother, which launches nationwide this week will appear on a range of key spots including roadside, underground, national rail and city centre digital screens as well as a range of popular men’s lifestyle media. All the straplines on the advertising pieces will be emphasizing the rich heritage of brewing in Belgium and highlight the brand’s “dedication to the simple, original techniques that deliver Stella Artois’ unique bitter taste.” The ads say ‘Master Brewers Required. 600 years experience needed,’ and ‘We were brewing beer in Belgium before Belgium was Belgian,’ referring to the beer-maker origins in Leuven, Belgium, in 1366.

This is quite a fresh approach for the brand, which has been using the style and feel of the 60s in its advertising since 2008 with the ‘retro chick’ positioning, still the new campaign features the previous ‘She is a thing of Beauty’ strapline in the ads (it can be seen in the bottom of the visuals).