Stella Artois is doubling up on its Super Bowl coverage with two ads, though neither will air nationally during the game. The Anheuser-Busch beer brand has chosen to go the regional ad route with its animated theme, and is also making a splash during the pre-game broadcast with a campaign that features former NFL stars Eli Manning, Dan Marino and Ryan Clark.
The pre-game campaign finds Stella teaming with Manning, Clark and Marino to give some hard-working kitchen and bar employees a well-deserved break to get to the Super Bowl. Stella Artois is thanking these hard workers with a day in the “Life Artois,” to let them spend time making memories with a loved one at Super Bowl 56.
The lead spot sees the three stars showing up at the places of work for three individuals. Each player surprises the workers by stating that they will take their shift while they enjoy the big game.
“The overarching campaign, ‘Make Time for the Life Artois,’ is a reminder to all to step out of the day-to-day and make time to savor life’s moments,” Lauren Denowitz, head of marketing, Stella Artois, told Adweek. “We wanted to work with talent that truly understood the importance of Super Bowl Sunday, and we could not have asked for a better team. These [players] are well-versed in working on a Super Bowl Sunday so we knew they would be perfect to step in and relieve some of our other MVPs: bar and restaurant workers.”
While the lucky fans are living the good life at SoFi Stadium, the NFL greats will be picking up shifts at locations in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Miami. Viewers in New York, Miami, Atlanta and Las Vegas can also watch the entire story unfold before the Super Bowl during a special pre-game Stella Artois spot.
“Bar and restaurant workers definitely help make game day a special experience,” said Manning in a statement. “When Stella Artois came to me with the idea, I was game to step in. I’m excited, and a little scared, to fill in for Meg on Sunday and can’t wait to hear about her experience getting to savor Super Bowl LVI with a loved one.”
Stella Artois will also offer five additional fans Super Bowl tickets. Fans can follow along with the conversation between @EliManning, @Realrclark25, @DanMarino and the brand on Twitter and Instagram today (Feb. 9) for chances to win a spot to the game and tune in to the brand’s Twitter on game day for more chances to live #TheLifeArtois.
A series of extra videos goes deeper into each NFL star’s interactions with their worker partners.
The campaign was created by Mother London.