• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, April 14, 2017

Stella Artois Cidre is out with a new television ad/video that might be described as something of a mini “La La Land” — with a French twist.

The whimsical spot (30-second version below), from Stella Artois’s creative agency of record, Mother New York, is titled “Dancing in a Modest Forest.”

It features an attractive, clearly hip young trio — a woman and two guys — breaking into a joyous line dance in front of an elaborate picnic setup (complete with ice bucket) laid out in a clearing in the woods. 

The woman, who is wearing a white beret, kicks off the dance with “un, deux, trois” and a toast with Stella Artois Cidre. Three apples fall from the sky and are effortlessly caught by the dancers as part of the performance.

The dance was choreographed by award-winning music video choreographer Ryan Heffington. The music: a Screechy Dan cover of The Stereos’ doo-wop classic “I Really Love You.” Produced by Victor Axelrod, the track “combines a mix of three genres to create a balance of harmonies,” in Mother New York’s words.

That aligns with the ad’s message — which, as a male voiceover explains, is that Stella Artois Cidre has “three apple varieties for a perfectly balanced flavor.”

The brand’s objectives for the campaign include establishing itself as the go-to premium brand within the rapidly growing U.S. cider market; appealing to white wine and rose drinkers; dispelling the assumption that cider is only for the fall; and pointing out that Cidre is a great choice for picnics and other al fresco activities, according to the agency.

Several different formats of the ad were created for broadcast and digital channels. 

The TV ad will be aired on outlets including Bravo, Oxygen, E!, Comedy Central, Logo, Spike, VH1, Discovery, Science, American Heroes, Nat Geo, Nat Geo Wild, AMC, TBS, BBC, Food Network, Travel, IFC, and History. 

A 15-second version is being featured on the brand’s Facebook and Instagram pages (the latter has generated more than 18,000 views in a week). Programmatically bought digital ads will also run throughout the campaign, which ends in mid October.