The pitch: Bright treasure amid the froth

By DAVID MacGREGOR*

Belgium's nickname is the "Cockpit of Europe" - as in: where Europe would converge to duke out their differences in places like Waterloo and Flanders.

Hardly surprising, then, that "Belgian" and "culture" are rarely deployed in the same breath, as most of Belgian history has been spent cleaning up after its boisterous neighbours.

That plucky little Belgian hero Tintin may be an exception.

And then there is Stella Artois. Belgium's one true gift to the world.

You may have seen the latest television commercial for this brand: Convicts being shipped to (I suppose) the Congo. Uprising on ship. Guard's daily ration of Stella finds its way to one of the finely cast convicts. Perpetrator of disturbance isolated in deck-top sweatbox.

Not a word spoken throughout.

Plot thickens. Our man is eager to savour his prize, but cannot (understandable, he is chained to 60 recalcitrants who would probably kill for less). He hatches a scheme. Brazenly assaulting a guard with a soup ladle (well, he is Belgian) our reedy antihero is confined to the sweatbox where he will be able to enjoy his prize in peace.

The Stella campaign is an oasis in the desert of Kiwi formula beer advertising. After endless research and peeling of the "brand onion", received wisdom in the category states "Thou shall include the beer moment". Any scenario should resolve with some overt satisfaction surrounding the obvious consumption of the fine product.

The Stella campaign has not one, but three memorable and immensely likeable executions (so far) in New Zealand. Each tells a relevant story in a way that feels authentic.

The positioning is obvious but not jammed down one's throat - a good thing and something marketers should covet.)

There's no doubt who the advertiser is, even without pouring, pack and enjoyment shots or gigantic logos. This is refreshing in itself.

Even the bottle in the commercial is an antique brown bottle with no label - not today's standard green glass. In spite of this I doubt there is stronger branding in any current advertising campaign.

There is intelligence at work here. Theirs and ours. I happily watch these ads time and again. They intrude without annoyance.

How perfectly Belgian and how rare these days.

* David MacGregor

* David MacGregor is an Auckland-based brand and marketing communications consultant.

* The Pitch is a forum for those working in advertising, marketing, public relations and communications. We welcome lively and topical 500-word contributions.
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