• by Larissa Faw , December 18, 2015

This holiday season, as part of its "Give Beautifully" campaign, Stella Artois has erected an interactive installation that brings the starry night sky to cities where people don't see them often. 

Last week in New York City, the beer brand invited guests to the installation that featured singer John Legend performing "Under the Stars," a specially written song for the occasion.  

Now the experience has moved to Buenos Aires, where Stella Artois, its lead agency Mother London and production company Unit9 installed the exhibit that includes over 500 kinetic LED bulbs arranged in clusters, with motion triggered lights placed throughout the starscape. It’s also equipped with an audio reactive element mimicking the actual range of sound that stars make. 

 As guests walk along a mirrored floor toward the center of the installation the 'stars' become more dense gravitate toward the person, making them the center of the star's orbit, and directing them toward the brightest stars in the installation.  As guests reach up to those stars cameras snap a photo which can then be retrieved at the end of the experience and shared on social media with tag @StellaArtois #GiveBeautifully. 

"It was our aim from the beginning to create a light installation that delivered a feeling of wonder," says Sean Pruen, creative director, Unit9. "That majestic sense of ‘wow’ you get when you look up at the Milky Way on a cloudless night, far from the noise of the city. A canopy of stars, rich in depth and organic natural beauty that you truly feel you can reach out and touch."  

The cities on the installation tour were selected largely because they are huge buyers of the beer. In the 3Q, Stella Artois delivered volume growth of 12.9% with strongest results from the UK, U.S., Canada and Argentina. 

The concept and timing of this installation celebrates the brand's core identity. The name Stella Artois is partially derived from the Latin term Star. And the beer was originally developed as a limited-edition Christmas treat but proved to be so popular the Belgium-based brewer Sebastian Artois decided to sell it year-round.  

This holiday-specific campaign stands separately from the brand's other advertising initiatives that are largely aimed at Millennials. Earlier this year, for instance, Stella Artois launched the "Host Beautifully" campaign that tied the beer to gourmet food. The effort was fronted by brand ambassador Legend where he was joined by other celebrity chefs and celebrities to showcase their "A to Z Party Tips."  

Stella Artois is owned by AmBev. Mother has represented the brand for eight years.