Mother London launched a new campaign for AB InBev-owned adjunct lager brand Stella Artois with a new ad “Inspired by a true story” (loosely, we’re guessing) telling “The History of Sebastian Artois.”
Sébastien Artois was actually the head brewer of Den Horen (the horn) brewery in Leuven, Belgium (which was established in 1366), renaming the brewery Artois in 1717. In Mother London’s fanciful version of events, Artois “sold everything he had to own a brewery” when it went up for auction, including his dog (poor thing). “You might have heard its name,” he says near the conclusion of the spot, asking viewers “So, what do you want to be remembered for?” before the tagline “Be Legacy” appears onscreen. Leaning on the brand’s history is an obvious move for a brand like Stella Artois, which can trace its roots back to the 14th century. It allows the brand to combat increasing consumer choice by avoiding conversations about ingredients (Stella uses corn in its recipe) or processes (fully automated), instead focusing on a distant past to imply current authenticity. It’s not a new approach by any means but, regardless of historical accuracy, “The History of Sebastian Artois” makes for entertaining viewing, while combating the brand’s associations with binge drinking and “lager louts” in the U.K. It’s an appropriate and strategic approach for the brand which leaves plenty of room for Mother London to develop future spots around other aspects of the brand’s history, such as Stella’s evolution from a festive Christmas lager to a year-round offering and Taylorbrands founder David Taylor‘s 1988 label and packaging redesign which payed homage to the brand’s Den Horen origins.
Credits:
Creative Agency: Mother
Creative Director: Mariano Cassisi, Sasha Markova
Creative: Xander Smith,
Jonathan Santana
Producer: Charlotte Glennon, Victoria Whitlow
Production Company: Riff Raff Films
Producer: Jane Tredget
Executive Producer: Matthew Fone
DOP: Martin Ruhe
Director: Francois Rousselet
Post Production Company: Moving Picture Company London
Producer: Amy Richardson
Offline Edit Company: Final Cut
Editor: Joe Guest
VFX Supervisor: Adam Crocker
Sound Design: Sam Ashwell at 750mph
Music Composer: Jamie N Commons