Starting on September 10 and running through Thursday, Stella Artois is hosting a "Sensorium" dinner series in a custom dome on King Street West. Though not an official part of the Toronto International Film Festival, which is taking place through September 20, the beer brand strategically timed its dinner series to take place during the fest. "The eyes of the world are on Toronto every September, and [the city] shines in response," said Mike Bascom, director of marketing for Stella Artois Canada. "Toronto ups its game during the festival season, and we felt there was an opportunity for Stella Artois to contribute to that."
The event was inspired by the glass chalice that has become a symbol for the Stella Artois brand. "The chalice is uniquely crafted to engage all five senses for a superior beer experience," Bascom said. "We asked ourselves a simple question: how can we bring the sensorial experience intrinsic to our ... chalice to life in a bigger way?"
To design the experience, planners partnered with a team of so-called "sensorial experts." Chef Richie Farina, formerly of Chicago's Michelin-starred restaurant Moto, was tapped to the design the menu. "His whole career has been about making meals a sensory experience," Bascom said. "Once he was in place, we went out and found the people who are ... doing the most leading-edge work on engaging sight, sound, and scent."
Filmmaker Jamie Webster created a 360-degree film to be projected inside the dome. Nyles Miszcyk of Royal Mountain Records created a set list of original compositions meant to pair with each course of the five-course meal, and Doctor Irwin Adams Eydelnanat of Future Food Studio created custom aromas to enhance each menu item. "We had to bring in some impressive ventilation to ensure that the scents from one course didn't carry over into another," Bascom said.
Delivering unexpected experiences is central to the brand's overall marketing strategy. "We know that the Stella Artois drinker is a sophisticated consumer," Bascom said. "At Stella Artois, we've always been about elevating experiences—that's at the core of our brand."
