Dive Brief:

• Stella Artois debuted a new marketing campaign for Valentine's Day, calling on consumers to slow down and enjoy the good life often associated with old Europe, the company revealed in a press release.
• The "The Life Artois" effort includes two animated ads that show the role the Anheuser-Busch beer brand can play in romance. The creative is inspired by vintage travel posters, per the release. Additionally, Stella is creating interactive walls in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles featuring romantic lines, where people can take photos and share the notes with loved ones before they're completed on Friday, Feb. 14.
• Stella is also partnering with women-first dating app Bumble to sponsor a dinner in Los Angeles. Hosted by influencer Olivia Culpo, The Stella Heartois Experience will take place on Feb. 13, and will include tapas, a DIY flower market and a branded chalice personalization station. The beer maker is working with food delivery service Postmates for a limited-edition Valentine's Day bundle through Feb. 14, including a 6-pack of brews, a candle, branded chalices and satin napkins.

Dive Insight:

Stella is positioning its beer as a product best shared with others, supported by a marketing campaign that encourages people to slow down their busy lives and socialize with others face to face. This latest Valentine's Day push continues the brand's focus on creative that encourages consumers to stop and enjoy life's small moments like romance. The aesthetics of the ad creative, hand-painted walls and experiential event in Los Angeles, complete with a chalice designing workshop, aim to bring to life Stella's messaging of an analog life that moves a bit slower.

This effort follows previous campaigns with a similar underlying message around taking time to enjoy life's simple pleasures, such as a beer with loved ones. In July, Stella ran the "Summer Like You're On Vacation" effort on TV and across social media. The spot starred actor Idris Elba enjoying summer by turning ordinary moments into something special with a Stella. The brand also ran a localized OOH campaign that challenged consumers to think of their hometown as an exotic location, where New York City becomes "Isla Del Manhattan" and Miami is "Cote de 365." At the time, Stella said it planned to continue with the theme of relatability in its marketing.

Over the holidays, the Anheuser-Busch brand launched the "Moments Worth Making" campaign, which also focused on people slowing down and spending time with loved ones. It featured real-world activations and creative that encouraged people to enjoy a beer with their unmet neighbors. The effort centered around a film that shows neighborhoods in 27 cities, where neighbors meet each other for the first time and shared a beer. As part of its "Change Up The Usual" messaging, Stella brought together the now-classic characters of Jeff Bridges' The Dude ("The Big Lebowski") and Sarah Jessica Park's Carrie Bradshaw ("Sex and the City"). In the 2019 Super Bowl ad, the recognizable characters cause confusion at a bar when they order Stellas instead of their usual White Russian and Cosmo drinks in an effort to "help end the global water crisis" and drum up awareness around Stella's conservation efforts.