Yesterday, Water.org Co-Founders Matt Damon and Gary White joined Stella Artois at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland to announce the brand’s reaffirmed commitment to ending the global water crisis with a multi-year extension of its partnership and their “Buy A Lady A Drink” campaign – which aims to help provide clean water for people in the developing world.
Water.org co-founders Gary White and Matt Damon, African Zone President of AB InBev Ricardo Tadeu and Co-Chair of WEF Global Future Council on Environment and Natural Resource Security Usha Rao-Monari participated in a panel discussion on Tuesday, January 17 on the global water crisis. The conversation was moderated by Arianna Huffington and hosted by Water.org and Stella Artois at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Water is a fundamental human need, yet 663 million people live without access to safe water.
Water is also the foundation of Stella Artois and has helped the brand build its 600-year brewing legacy. This week, Stella Artois reaffirmed its commitment to ending the global water crisis at the World Economic Forum with a multi-year extension of its partnership with Water.org and their “Buy A Lady A Drink” campaign to help provide clean water for people in the developing world.
Stella Artois will inspire U.S. consumers to support this issue throughout the year, beginning at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
The “Buy A Lady A Drink” campaign was first launched in 2015, leveraging Stella Artois’ global footprint to raise awareness and spark consumer action to address this critical issue. This year, the brand announced a four-year commitment with Water.org to help provide 3.5 million people with long-term, sustainable access to clean water by 2020.
One in 10 people in the developing world lack access to safe water. This problem disproportionately affects women and children, who spend millions of hours a day collecting water instead of working, caring for family or attending school.
“I have four daughters and it’s tough to imagine them having to walk for hours every day to get clean water, as so many women around the world do,” said Matt Damon, Co-founder of Water.org. “We want to put an end to these journeys. Through our partnership with Stella Artois, and the campaign launch at the World Economic Forum and the Sundance Film Festival, we’re inviting consumers around the world to help us do this.”
“It is unnecessary and unacceptable that every 90 seconds a child dies from a water-related disease,” said Gary White, CEO and Co-founder of Water.org. “We need partners and committed resources – both human and capital – to help end the global water crisis.”
This global, multi-channel partnership launches in the U.S. today with several opportunities for people to engage in the effort.
New Limited-Edition Chalices Designed by Local Artists in Uganda, Brazil and Cambodia
As part of this year’s campaign, Stella Artois will release a new set of Limited-Edition Chalices designed by three influential artists – Lisa Mam from Cambodia, Fernando Chamerelli from Brazil and Eria Nsubuga from Uganda. Each design reflects the artist’s experience and artistic interpretation of the global water crisis in their country and represents one of the countries where Water.org provides support. For every Limited-Edition Chalice that is sold, Stella Artois will help Water.org provide five years of clean water for one person in the developing world.
“We are proud to continue partnering with Water.org for a renewed commitment that is bigger than what we’ve ever done in the U.S.,” said Harry Lewis, Vice President, Stella Artois. “To be the generation that ends the global water crisis, people can take small steps – like purchasing a chalice – to spark change.”
Since the launch of the “Buy a Lady a Drink” campaign two years ago, Stella Artois has helped provide more than 800,000 people in the developing world with access to five years of clean water through the sale of more than 225,000 Limited-Edition Chalices, and by directly donating more than $3 million to water.org.
Consumers can purchase one of the exclusive Chalices for $13 at BuyALadyADrink.com, Amazon.com, Gilt.com and Drizly.com, and other retailers nationwide.
New for 2017, the campaign also introduces two additional donation mechanisms, further increasing the reach and scale of the program. For every six- or 12-bottle pack of Stella Artois sold in select retail stores, Stella Artois will help Water.org provide six or 12 months of clean water for one person in the developing world. For every pint or bottle of beer sold in select bars and restaurants, Stella Artois will help Water.org provide one month of clean water for one person in the developing world.
Stella Artois Seeks to Inspire Change at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival
Stella Artois will once again be at the Sundance Film Festival to rally consumers to support the “Buy A Lady A Drink” campaign and spotlight its commitment to inspiring social impact through the power of film at their Filmmaker Lounge. Located on Main Street, the Filmmaker Lounge hosts the Festival’s most prominent films and filmmakers from Friday – Sunday during the Festival’s opening weekend.
The brand will bring the global water crisis to the forefront of the Sundance Film Festival through an exclusive event at the Stella Artois Filmmaker Lounge on Saturday, January 21 called, “From Tap to Table: the Global Water Crisis through the Lens of Culture and Cuisine.” Matt Damon and Gary White will be joined by international culinary star and water advocate Marcus Samuelsson to discuss the water crisis through an intimate, internationally inspired tasting.
“As an Ethiopian, the global water crisis hits close to home. While I was fortunate enough to not have to face this issue personally, I feel great kinship to my country and those who experience this suffering on a daily basis,” said Samuelsson. “Having traveled the world and seen firsthand how clean water can transform lives, I’m passionate about joining this movement to help end the global water crisis with Stella Artois and Water.org.”
There are many ways that consumers can get inspired and join the conversation while in Park City:
• Women in Film Partnership: As part of the “Buy A Lady A Drink” campaign and a further testament to supporting women who are sparking change around the world, Stella Artois announces its new commitment to supporting female filmmakers through a strategic multi-year partnership with the non-profit organization Women in Film.
• Up-Close with Festival Casts: To underscore the brand’s support of the film community, Stella Artois and Deadline invite Sundance Film Festival filmmakers and cast into the Filmmaker Lounge for lively industry discussions.
◦ Every day from Friday – Sunday at 12 pm MST, join Stella Artois and Deadline for a live cast Q&A open to Festival credential holders.
◦ Sunday’s panel will pay special homage to women in film, and feature Sundance Film Festival award-winning documentarian Crystal Moselle, who was commissioned by Stella Artois at the 2016 Festival to create “Water Front,” a three-part documentary series showcasing the impact of the global water crisis on women and their communities in Haiti, Kenya and Peru.
• Take Action: The new Limited-Edition Chalices are available for purchase at the Stella Artois Filmmaker Lounge.
From the Big Screen to Homes Nationwide
In addition to activity in Park City, Stella Artois is further encouraging people take part in the “Buy A Lady A Drink” campaign through multi-channel online and offline activations.
• National Television Advertisement: Building on the success of its presence online in 2016, Stella Artois released a television ad featuring Matt Damon that highlights the Limited-Edition Chalices and challenges viewers to become the generation that ends the global water crisis.
• New Short Online Film: Stella Artois and Water.org will feature a short online documentary film titled “Elizabeth’s Dream,” the story of a young Kenyan woman whose life was transformed when access to clean water was established in her village.
• Leveraging Innovation to Drive Awareness: Stella Artois is utilizing digital platforms to inspire others to participate in the “Buy A Lady A Drink” campaign – including immersive experiences tailored to art and design lovers on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
Visit www.BuyALadyADrink.com to purchase a Limited-Edition Chalice and learn more about how you can help be the generation to end the global water crisis. Join the conversation online with @StellaArtois #1Chalice5Years.
