Industry Innovators 2022: Stella Artois

"Industry Innovators 2022: 10 Brands Shaping the Future of Event Marketing" is sponsored by Hubilo, a leading virtual and hybrid event platform built to drive engagement, with clients including Deloitte, Coca-Cola, Amazon Web Services and more.

The Basics: The team behind Stella Artois, which falls under the Anheuser-Busch InBev umbrella, is known for bringing a certain European flair to its experiential marketing campaigns in an effort to promote the Belgian lager to international audiences—often tying the brew to bites. For example, the brand opened Frites Artois, a permanent restaurant concept in Bogotá that serves up Stella Artois with fries, alongside fusion dishes inspired by Latin American flavors.

And in July, Stella Artois auctioned off celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson's signature fried chicken recipe in the form of a NFT to support the brand's restaurant relief efforts. The NFT included a digital file of the recipe made famous at Samuelsson’s Red Rooster restaurant as well as a video where the chef shares kitchen prep tips.

Most Innovative Event: Over the summer, Stella Artois teamed up with some of New York’s most sought-after restaurants to launch Seaport Artois, a bookable experience where chefs put their unique spin on pizza. Hundred percent of the proceeds went toward restaurant recovery and the James Beard Foundation.

Stella Artois and cult skate brand PALACE released two limited-edition collections of PALACE ARTOIS, which featured apparel like stadium jackets, hoodies, caps and t-shirts and home bar accessories, in conjunction with “PALACE ARTOIS” pubs in New York and London.Photo: Courtesy of Anheuser-Busch“As the city opened up, this event provided a really special experience for New Yorkers to come together and raise a chalice to the city they love with 100% of event proceeds going back to the dining industry,” said Lauren Denowitz, head of marketing for Stella Artois US. “This innovative dining experience was part of our larger restaurant recovery initiative, 'Your Table Is Ready' with Padma Lakshmi, which also included a specialty 'Open for Good' bottle with a portion of proceeds benefiting the James Beard Foundation in support of restaurant recovery.”

Pivot Back to In-Person/Hybrid: “We've had to get creative over the course of the pandemic to continue to deliver the ‘Life Artois’ to our fans in a remote setting and, in doing so, have learned that there is value to both in-person and virtual experiences,” Denowitz said. “Our approach to events continues to evolve as we closely consider the best ways to reach consumers based on a variety of factors, most importantly being the latest health and safety guidelines.”

Lessons Learned: “We’ve learned that things can change very quickly,” Denowitz said. “The past two years have definitely kept us on our toes when it comes to planning events as well as communications. Our strategy is built on being able to quickly pivot, get creative, and stay flexible.

Sales of the specialty "Open for Good" bottle benefited the James Beard Foundation in support of restaurant recovery.Photo: Courtesy of Stella Artois

Guests were also able to visit the Seaport Artois gift shop, powered by Uncommon Goods, that was stocked with merchandise inspired by New York City.Photo: Courtesy of Stella Artois