Stella Artois

A beer with one of the highest image ratings in the specialty import category, Stella Artois is under siege by wine and other sophisticated spirits. This is particularly true in the critical Christmas season, when alcohol sales peak, which is why Lowe Roche was asked to create a holiday-specific campaign to help solidify share. The agency had to design a global campaign that could work in over 12 languages, while keeping true to the core brand idea that “perfection has its price.”

The discovery process revealed that Stella Artois in fact was originally brewed as a Christmas specialty beer, and research suggested this could be a motivating factor in driving purchase intent. Lowe Roche crafted a campaign that celebrated this heritage and involved consumers in the brand in ways not seen before in the category.

Using the equity from an earlier outdoor campaign centering on intricate paper cut-outs, the agency produced a cinema/television spot celebrating a craftsman whose creations come to life in the dead of night to christen a glass of Stella Artois. Online, a unique site allowed users to send a star – an invitation to meet in real life. It echoed the look of the cinema and created a buzz on blogs and social networks around the world.

With very little media support, over 100,000 users visited the site during the Christmas period, spending over two minutes per visit. And over 50% of users sent the electronic Christmas greeting, generating even more traffic. The site was picked up as users spread it virally. The success of the campaign allowed Stella to reach its goal of solidifying their share through the critical holiday season.