• by Teresa Buyikian , Yesterday

Stella Artois is bidding farewell to an exciting World Cup with new creative that celebrates both the world champs and the beer.

The official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026 last week rolled out “Kissing the Gold,” which depicts a fan kissing Stella Artois' “golden chalice,” depicted as if it were the World Cup trophy itself.

The brand had the creative at the ready for the final tournament, debuting the ad immediately following through 24-hour digital placements in Times Square and LA Live. The live digital execution was followed up with a full-page advertisement in The New York Times sports section.

“This World Cup belonged as much to the fans as it did to the players on the pitch,” said Chris Jones, group vice president of marketing, premium brands, at Anheuser-Busch, in a release. “From kickoff to the final whistle, Stella Artois celebrated the rituals that make the experience worth more – and this new creative is our way of highlighting chalice as the ‘fan’s gold,’ raising a glass to both the fans and the champions who made this tournament truly unforgettable.”

The brand launched its World Cup efforts with a hero TV spot starting David Beckham, seen here, as well as the All Rounds On Beckham contest, which awarded cash prizes during multiple tournament-specific rounds.

The brand also sponsored the “Work From Bar” initiative, which encouraged work-from-home World Cup fans to ditch their desks for local pubs to watch weekday matches. Stella also held a “Work from Bar” pop-up in New York City that featured a 36-foot LED screen showing World Cup matches, soundproof conference rooms, WiFi and free chalice engraving. 

The Stella World Cup effort is an extension of the brand’s ongoing “Taste Worth More,” platform, which launched in 2024 as an evolution of its previous "Reassuringly Expensive" tagline.