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Has Stella been saved?

Posted in Advertising, Marketing, Branwell Johnson, Latest reporters' blogs May 8th, 2009 by Branwell Johnson

It looks like Stella Artois may have shaken off the associations of a “wifebeater” lager thanks to the launch of the 4% variant and the ad campaign by Mother.

Anheuser-Busch InBev (bit of a mouthful) has reported first quarter results and the near 20 page report does single out Stella in the UK as a successfully repositioned brand so far.

Stuart MacFarlane, InBev President of UK and Ireland, said: “We have also invested in a new creative strategy for the brand, which includes re-designed fonts in the on-trade, the introduction of new packaging for Stella Artois and an extensive new TV and outdoor campaign for Stella Artois 4% to boost awareness of the brand.”

If ABInBev’s claims do stack up in terms of volume and value – and there’s no break out of those stats- then it’s a heck of a turnaround job for a brand that seemed in freefall only a few months ago.

The premium positioning that Lowe’s cinematic arthouse film pastiches tried to convey were undermined by supermarket discounting and the reality of how and who was consuming the beer.

Mother’s light-hearted undermining of French 60s cinema tropes (and yes, the beer’s heritage is Belgian) may have worked, as well as the trend for lower ABV variants for those who want to have a pint or two without rendering themselves rubbish company when they finally get home.

The brewer just has to hope that ongoing government pressure and its own supplier terms can prevent supermarkets discounting again when the retailers want to retain customer share.