Stella Artois joins Water.org to help end global water crisis with return of ‘Buy a Lady a Drink’ campaign

I recently saw a television ad for the Stella Artois “Buy a Lady a Drink” campaign featuring a beautiful Stella Artois chalice, or glass goblet. Intrigued by the campaign, I decided to do a little research to find out more information about it. I also, of course, purchased a couple of the chalices.

From the press release …

Water has played an important role in the Stella Artois brewing heritage for more than 600 years, and it is an essential ingredient in the Stella Artois that is brewed today. Yet, 663 million people lack access to clean water – a global crisis that disproportionately affects women, who spend millions of hours a day collecting it.

Stella Artois has once again partnered with Water.org to drive awareness to the global water crisis. It calls on consumers to help leave a legacy as the generation that ends this crisis once and for all.

The “Buy a Lady a Drink” campaign first launched in 2015 in an effort to use Stella Artois’ global footprint to help positively impact this important issue. Last year, the campaign focused on women’s long journeys for clean water. This year, the campaign will showcase the positive impact that access to clean water can have while inspiring consumers to leave a positive mark on the world.

“I’ve seen how the lives of women and their families can change when they get access to clean water,” said Water.org Co-Founder Matt Damon. “Access to water is access to education, access to work, access to the kind of future we want for all humankind. Thanks to our partnership with Stella Artois, this year’s ‘Buy a Lady a Drink’ campaign helps us tell this story – and gives consumers the chance to help us change it.”

“Water.org is committed to making clean water accessible so everyone in the world has the opportunity to prosper,” said Water.org Co-Founder and CEO Gary White. “We’re proud to partner with Stella Artois again this year to help us change more futures around the globe.”

New Limited-Edition Stella Artois Chalices

Stella Artois has released a new set of limited-edition Chalices designed by three artists:

• Daniel Cortez Torres from Peru
• Wini Awuondo from Kenya
• Michele Manuel from Haiti.

Each design represents the specific water problem faced by women in that country.

Consumers can purchase one of the exclusive Chalices for $13 at Amazon.com. For every Chalice sold in the U.S., Stella Artois will donate $6.25 to Water.org, up to 90,000 chalices, to help provide five years of clean water for one person in the developing world.

“Water is woven into the very fabric of Stella Artois – it has allowed us to leave behind a proud brewing legacy, and we want others to have that same opportunity to leave a mark on the world,” said Ricardo Marques, vice president, Stella Artois. “Thanks to our continued partnership with Water.org, we have been able to change the lives of more than 290,000 people in the developing world through access to clean drinking water. Small actions, like the purchase of a Chalice, can have a big impact.”

New Short Films

The Buy a Lady a Drink campaign will also feature three new short films. The first film showcases a zoetrope animation, a moving image device that features individual Stella Artois Chalices painted with different scenes of the positive impact that access to clean water can bring – such as growing crops, earning an income, and going to school.

The second film, featuring Matt Damon with the zoetrope, asks consumers to consider their own personal legacies and challenges them to become part of the generation that ends the global water crisis.

The third film is a YouTube 360 video, which brings to life the experience of one woman and her family in Honduras via virtual reality on consumers’ mobile devices.

Debut of New Documentary Series

To highlight the power of water and inspire social action, Stella Artois has commissioned 2015 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize Winner Crystal Moselle to create a three-part documentary series. The series showcases the impact of the global water crisis on women and their communities in Haiti, Kenya, and Peru.

Moselle and her Academy- and Emmy Award- winning producer Fazeelat Aslam recently traveled to Haiti where they met Marie, a midwife living in a community with no access to clean water. In her daily struggle to provide for her large family and service her community, Marie’s resilience became immediately apparent. Her story inspired the film making team’s first chapter of an eye-opening look at the water crisis around the world.

“Clean water is something that’s easily taken for granted. Many of us don’t realize how much it impacts a community’s livelihood and sense of hope for the future,” said Moselle. “On our visit to Haiti, we met so many amazing women dealing with the crisis on several levels. These stories of strength, hope and perseverance really resonated with us, and we hope they will inspire viewers enough to take action.”

The films will be produced in partnership with Stella Artois. Advisory support will come from Water.org. The series is planned to coincide with World Water Day, which is Tuesday, March 22, 2016.

To learn more about the global water crisis, how to leave a mark on the world, and purchase a limited-edition Stella Artois Chalice, consumers can visit BuyALadyADrink.com or follow @StellaArtois #LeaveYourMark on social media.

Stella Artois

The number one Belgian beer in the world, Stella Artois® is part of a Belgian brewing tradition that dates back to 1366. Stella Artois® is a bottom filtered blonde pilsner with a thirst quenching malty middle. Its crisp finish delivers a full flavor and a hint of bitterness. Please visit www.stellaartois.com for more information.

Water.org

Founded by Gary White and Matt Damon, Water.org pioneers innovative, community-driven and market-based initiatives to ensure all people have access to safe water and sanitation, which in turn gives hope to women, health to children, and a future to communities. Water.org has been at the forefront of developing and delivering solutions to help the global water crisis for more than 20 years. To date, Water.org has positively transformed the lives of more than three million people around the world, ensuring a better life for generations ahead. Learn more at water.org and www.facebook.com/water.