Dive Brief:

• Stella Artois launched a new campaign that plays up daydreaming in summer, titled "You're Never Too Far From The Life Artois," the company shared with Marketing Dive.
• The Anheuser-Busch beer brand debuted the effort this week on YouTube with a three-minute music video starring Eva Longoria, Liev Schreiber and Blake Griffin, as well as others who dance their way across city streets, apartments and rooftops. The spot was directed by Paul Hunter and created with agency Pereira O'Dell.
• The beer brand also partnered with travel site TripAdvisor to transform canceled vacations due to the pandemic into memorable staycations in consumers' local cities. People whose dream vacations have been canceled can share their story in the "Stella Staycation Swap" for the chance to win an all-expenses-paid staycation in their town to explore local sites, restaurants and hotels.

Dive Insight:

Stella Artois has a history of playing up positive human connections in its marketing, and this latest effort aims to similarly inspire people to enjoy summer and bring them together through a positive collective daydream during a stressful year.

The daydream theme encourages people to make the best of their homebound pandemic lives by daydreaming their way into a better mood with a refreshing beer. Likewise, the partnership with TripAdvisor aims to help people make the best of canceled vacations by rediscovering their hometown.

The campaign follows a number of efforts in the past year to connect people and get them to look at the bright side of life, even in their own backyard. That message may resonate with consumers facing a difficult year and looking for mood-boosting content.

Last summer, Stella Artois ran the "Summer Like You're On Vacation" effort which encouraged people to turn ordinary moments into something special with a beverage. During the holidays last winter, the beer maker's "Moments Worth Making" campaign urged Americans to share a beer with their unmet neighbors, as many city dwellers don't know the people who also live in their building. The effort featured six pairs of Manhattan and Brooklyn neighbors meeting each other for the first time and starting a conversation to encourage neighborly interactions. During Valentine's Day, Stella Artois called on consumers to slow down and enjoy the romantic good life often associated with old Europe. The animated ads showed the role the beer brand can play in romance and the creative included was inspired by vintage travel posters.

Even during the height of pandemic-related lockdowns, Stella Artois ran a video spot playing up the beer maker's 600-year history highlighting that "there is always an after" to a crisis. The video encouraged viewers to purchase vouchers to use at small businesses to help local bars and restaurants survive the pandemic's financial impacts.