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Stella Artois ferments seasonal promotion strategy with interactive digital videos

Anheuser-Busch's Stella Artois brand is fizzing up product awareness with a season-long campaign that enables OpenTable users to receive special surprises upon booking reservations at participating restaurants and introduces a series of digital videos that allows viewers to share and buy featured items.

Stella Artois is gearing up for a promotion-heavy summer with its ?Host One to Remember? campaign, which seeks to honor the brand?s legacy and future. The beer marketer is encouraging fans to make great memories by placing its products at the front-and-center of several new partnerships, including collaborations with dining reservation application OpenTable and touchable video platform Cinematique.

?Stella Artois is collaborating with Cinematique, the world?s first touchable digital video platform, to curate a three-video episodic story that showcases the world of hosting and entertaining through the eyes of different iconic hosts of today,? said Harry Lewis, vice president of Stella Artois. 

?Using the touch technology, consumers will be able to discover more about the Legacy Hosts, learn how to perfectly pour a Stella Artois through our nine-step pouring ritual, purchase chalices, purchase tickets to Le Savoir, or simply learn more about Stella Artois? rich heritage ? making it easier than ever to ?host one to remember? this summer."

Uncapping touchable digital videos
Cinematique?s platform enables marketers to help curate touchable videos that are several minutes in length. Viewers will be able to tap or ?touch? anything they see in the clip as their finger or cursor moves across the screen.

Each time a consumer adds a featured item to his or her boutique by touching it, a number count will appear onscreen.

Once they have finished watching the branded video, consumers can tap the Cinematique icon in the bottom right corner to view their boutiques. There, they will find each product they have touched. Users can explore the items before purchasing them online or via mobile.

Stella Artois will take fans through a three-video story arc displaying the world of hosting, keeping in line with its campaign theme. The videos will become available on Stella Artois? Web site, www.StellaArtois.com, on August 1.

Leveraging touchable videos is an ideal way to fuel consumer engagement and interactivity with branded content. Often times, individuals may spot items of interest when watching a clip, but do not know where to purchase the exact products.

By enabling viewers to quickly save and store favorited objects, brands can raise the likelihood of a purchase being made at the video?s conclusion.

Bubbling up complementary experiences
To expand upon the campaign theme, Stella Artois is ramping up to give restaurant-goers a bit of spark alongside their dinners through its partnership with OpenTable. Consumers who book reservations at one of Stella Artois? participating restaurant partners via OpenTable?s app or Web platform will encounter a special surprise when they arrive on-site and order a Stella Artois beer.

They will receive the brand?s signature chalice, which may be useful for at-home entertaining.

Additional potential surprises include complimentary desserts and the chance to win OpenTable gift cards for future dining outings.

Individuals may visit http://www.stellaartoishostingseries.com/ to book reservations in nine United States regions.

To enter to win a $100 gift card, consumers must post a photo showcasing how Stella Artois helps them host special moments with friends and family via the #stellaartoishostingmoment hashtag on social media.

The promotion, which begins on August 19, will include weekly winners.

Stella Artois is no stranger to rolling out seasonal campaigns with mobile commerce-heavy angles.

Last year, the brand spotlighted its holiday campaign on mobile by enabling consumers to stream an original John Legend song on its optimized site and shop a curated gift guide done in collaboration with online retailer Gilt (see story).

?We are constantly looking for ways to make it easier for consumers to access Stella Artois to elevate their hosting occasions, so digital and mobile partnerships are a natural avenue for us to explore,? Mr. Lewis said. ?In addition to our collaborations this summer, we?ve worked with on-demand spirits delivery service Drizly and Minibar and were one of the first beer brands to work with digital innovators such as UberBOAT and Postmates.

?We were also the first beer brand to join Instagram and advertise on the platform, further demonstrating our social-first approach to marketing and reaching the millennial audience.?