New Stella Ad
I can’t seem to find it on YouTube, but you can watch it here.
James Watson, marketing director for Stella Artois Western Europe, said: “This latest instalment of our triple filtered, smooth escapades campaign is the fourth in the series and probably our best yet.
“Consumers love it, we’ll be supporting it big, and we really believe it will help drive brand preference and the continued success of Stella Artois 4% across both the on and off trade.”
Does anyone else think it’s just shit?
(Hang on, I have my reasons)
I know this isn’t the first time I’ve brought this up, but the current Stella campaign MAKES NO FUCKING SENSE.
Here’s why:
1) Why is it now set in 1950s French Riviera? It’s Belgian FFS (I know all the good old ads were set in France, but they were also set in a time where a beer had a greater significance and could work believably as a sort of currency). This leads to posters that have absolutely no meaning or idea at all:
I’d complain about the endline that bears no relation to the picture, but that leads me nicely on to point 2.
2) Each TV ad consists of three turns/twists/changes. This is supposed to reflect/convey the fact that the beer is triple filtered (like I give a fuck). If any of you like this campaign can you, hand on heart, say that anyone would ever notice this and take it in? THEN, would they give a shit? Of course not.
Check out the three ‘twists’ here:
http://www.vimeo.com/5640131
Utterly pointless.
Here’s how to do triple something-or-othered properly:
3) WHY THE FUCK DO ALL THE CUNTS IN THESE ADS ORDER A STELLA ARTOIS ‘FOUR’? FOR CUNTING FUCKSHIT’S SAKE! THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FRENCH. WHEN FRENCH PEOPLE SEE A ‘4’, THEY THINK IT’S PRONOUNCED ‘CAT-RER’. THAT IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE TO US. IT IS CALLED FRENCH AND SOME OF THE WORDS ARE DIFFERENT. ONE OF THESE WORDS IS ‘FOUR’, WHICH THEY CALL ‘QUATRE’. JESUS FUCKING WEPT.
4) Every time I see one I weep for the old days:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSbRhyONjXM
Aren’t they just a perfect example of the downturn of advertising? A campaign that used to be brilliant and make perfect sense now does neither of those things but still wins awards.
I give up.
*shoots self in face*
That Smirnoff ad is so so amazing.
Yep.
One of the most underrated/under-awarded ads ever.
it reminds me of a parody of a bad 70s euro beer ad. but not a good one. Most Interesting Man nailed that one. must have been torture to sell and produce.
[…] more here: If This Is A Blog Then What's Christmas? – New Stella Ad Related Posts:If This Is A Blog Then What's Christmas? – New Stella Ad James Watson, […]
Really very funny and perceptive, Ben.
But don’t take any notice of what I say ‚Äì I’m a cunt.
Those 1960’s French trains with their landline telephones and cocktail bars were good. Reminiscent of the First Great Western service to Slough.
Forget what went before. Judge this on its own merits. Convoluted and charmless.
Stella has, for as long as I remember, been seen as a wife beater.
Stella is aiming to shake that profile off, by making it seem gay, or at least gay to a chav sporting a spliff.
I think it does it pretty well and I like the current crop. Is it better than the old stuff? No.
But it seems to be working
Oh and Smirnoff is one of my top 5’s. Maybe top 3.
With the French thing i can only guess that they think the Belgians aren’t smooth enough. As for the triple filtered, i don’t think thats what the message is, it’s just a transition to the point they really want you to take home, which is that this Stella has a smooth taste (it’s debatable if it does that though) unlike the classic wife beater. If nothing they’re always well executed. Which seems to be what most people judge ads by these days (see VW Darth Vader). The big message means nothing. When was the last time you came across a ‘reassuringly expensive’ or a ‘good things come to those who wait’. Original, true, super clever, super smart, smash it out of the park ideas. Communication whereby you could strip away the ad to the message and still find it impressive.
Also, ‘four’ sounds like ‘fort’ in French. So they are asking for a strong Stella. Even though it’s weaker. Les wankers.
Such a shame. I bet James Watson cries too, “What have I done.”
Bless you, Ben, never knowingly understated. What can you say? The client got the advertising he deserved.
I’m not defending the Stella Artois 4 work (I’m not a fan) but I see where it’s come from: “smooth.” Belgium isn’t smooth. It’s muddy and cobbled. The French Riviera is smooth. And sunny. And full of beautiful girls. Which is more important than the brand’s history (as it’s a new product, probably brewed in the UK ‚Ä쬆but I can’t be arsed to check that) to the audience, I expect.
I never got the three twist/turn/change thing but it wouldn’t make any difference (especially since the only number you see on the product is a 4). This is advertising bullocks. How can they ruin a brand like that. I remember looking forward to the next Stella ad (yes, I’m a bit of a sad git). Guinness ads have also gone downhill in the last few years. Such a shame.
Isn’t it the same campaign as those old shite Tetleys bitter ads but more French?
I’m inclined to agree with you Ben, and yet… and yet.. In one key area, they do retain some of the the magic of the original Stella work. It is this… they still make a pint of Stella look really, really, really fucking appetising. Now, you might say that’s the very least a beer ad should achieve but, in fact, most don’t – your Foster’s/ Carling/ Bud ads make me feel slightly queasy.
How does Stella do it? Easy, make their product feel really vivid and iconic by taking it out of a familiar, modern context and putting it somewhere beautiful but a bit otherworldly – e.g. 1950s Riviera.
Secondly, make the Stella man du jour properly work for his pint, so you believe he really fucking wants it.
Et voila, your sales are served.
Punters couldn’t give a gallic shrug whether or not the ad actually makes sense. Cheers!
Interesting that Fredrik Bond shot the Smirnoff ad, then the first piece for Stella. In fairness, said first execution was far and away the best.
As I recall, all the previous campaigns through Lowe were also set in France, but they were more non-descript, generic locations, so that’s nothing new. Belgium hasn’t ever featured (and rightly so – it’s boring).
And I agree about the ‘4’ – merde.
yes, the stella ads dont make sense. and why triple filtered and nouvelle 4. what do they want to tell me? confusing. as are the ads. maybe they still work with some ‘punters’ because the scenery is pretty. pitty they wont work as well as they could. the ‘punter’ isnt waiting with bated breath for the next nonsensical, but nicely shot, stella ad. or any wankfest for that matter. it doesnt look wife beater though. neither did the old ones i reckon. i quite like the transformation idea. they could have done that with the beer as well. anyway. woulda coulda shoulda.
‚ÄúConsumers love it, we‚Äôll be supporting it big” I imagine this sentence to have been spoken in a laughable mockney accent.
Youtube link here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mXjYanYmQ0&feature=player_embedded
Can we start comparing the old fosters ads with the abortions that are currently festering up my tv screen too
The largest this-doesn’t-make-any-fucking-sense irony of it all is that if you were to order a ‘Stella Artois Four’ in French, they’d probably assume you wanted a ‘Stella Artois Fort’, and give you a strong Stella. Not the weak shit. Still. Giving a fuck about detail or logic is so traditional.
I love that one with the little boats that Bryan Buckley shot. Never saw it on telly though.