Support for Stella

Stella Artois has launched a new advertising campaign to try and reinforce the quality credentials of the brand.

Adverts refering the different elements that go into making a pint of Stella are being rolled out across the UK this month.

The poster and press campaign has been launched in response to the tough time InBev has been having recently with its flagship premium lager. According to AC Nielsen statistics the brand lost one per cent of its volume market share in the year to May 2006.

Added to this the brand has suffered from image problems in recent years, leading to the premium Brasserie Artois innovation earlier this year, which saw InBev position the brand alongside speciality beers like Artois Bock and Peeterman Artois.

The adverts will encourage consumers to see quality credentials in the brand by making them read facts about the branded glassware, the hops used to brew Stella and the beer's Belgian heritage.

Lee Rolston, marketing manager for Stella Artois at InBev UK, said: "Stella Artois is an iconic brand and the advertising reminds consumers how this came to be. 

"It reflects Stella Artois's unrivalled product quality, brewing heritage and craftsmanship in a highly creative and cutting-edge fashion."

The outdoor campaign will be sited in city-centre locations as well on the London Underground.

Advertisements will also appear in weekend magazines in The Independent, The Guardian and The Times, as well as Time Out magazine, as the brand looks to make a big impression on its 18 to 34-year-old target age group.