Stella Artois and Water.org Conduct Hidden Camera Experiment to Demonstrate Impact of the Global Water Crisis

 On the heels of encouraging consumers to “Make Your Super Bowl Party Matter” to help end the global water crisis, and in advance of Stella Artois and Water.org’s Super Bowl debut, the brand is launching “The Wait for Water,” a digital video to further contextualize the global water crisis. The video, released today, challenges people to imagine their everyday lives without access to clean water – a daily reality for millions of people in the developing world. It spotlights the reactions of unsuspecting people around the world when they are told that water won’t be available to them for up to six hours – the amount of time on average women in the developing world spend collecting water each day.

“The Wait for Water,” featuring Water.org co-founder Matt Damon, brings the stark reality of this crisis into perspective in a thought-provoking video that captures a hidden camera experiment conducted in a hotel in the U.K., a restaurant in the U.S. and a workspace and café in South America. In each situation, patrons who ask for water are told that there will be none available, sparking a range of reactions. The resulting video illustrates the way so many of us take water – a basic human necessity – for granted, and how disruptive it would be if we did not have access to clean water every day. To view visit: The Wait for Water.  

“We’ve learned this issue is hard for many people to relate to because clean, accessible water is a constant presence in their lives,” said Matt Damon, co-founder of Water.org. “Yet for millions around the world, this isn’t the case. Our challenge is to help create that understanding.”

Super Bowl Advertiser Stella Artois Releases Second Piece of Content to Contextualize the Global Water Crisis in Advance of the Big Game

The new video is an extension of the brand’s “Make Your Super Bowl Party Matter” initiative that kicked off its partnership with Water.org last month. The call to action has been rallying those buying beer for the Super Bowl to stock up on Stella Artois to help provide access to clean water for those in the developing world. 

The Stella Artois and Water.org Super Bowl spot, “Taps,” also stars Water.org co-founder Matt Damon. The 30 second spot positions water taps and instant access to clean water as something most people in the U.S. might take for granted, while people in the developing world have to walk hours each day to collect water. Showcasing the Stella Artois Limited-Edition Chalice, which has been the centerpiece of the campaign since its inception in 2015, the ad invites viewers to help end the global water crisis by purchasing a Chalice, ultimately giving time back to those whose daily life revolves around the journey to find water.  To view visit: Taps Super Bowl Commercial

“Announcing that we’re using the Super Bowl to raise awareness for the global water crisis has already put this issue on a major stage,” said Harry Lewis, Vice President, Stella Artois. “Now with the release of ‘The Wait for Water’ we are putting the global water crisis into fresh perspective to further inspire those who can help make an impact to take action this year.”

How Consumers Can Participate

From January 15 until April 15 of this year, every purchase of a Stella Artois 12-pack (both bottles and cans, including Stella Artois Cidre) will help Water.org provide 12 months of clean water for one person in the developing world. For those watching the big game at a bar, the purchase of one pint or bottle of Stella Artois will help provide one month of clean water. And as in years past, in 2018 every purchase of a Limited-Edition Stella Artois Chalice will help provide five years of clean water for one person in the developing world.

Each year the campaign features Limited-Edition Chalices representing countries where Water.org provides support. This year’s Chalices feature unique designs by Silvana Avila from Mexico, Janine Shroff from India and Monica Ramos from the Philippines. Each design reflects the artists’ experience and artistic interpretation of the global water crisis in their own community.

Global Impact of Stella Artois and Water.org Partnership

The partnership launched in 2015 in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Belgium and Argentina and leverages Stella Artois’ global footprint to raise awareness and spark action to engage in the cause. The campaign has since doubled the number of participating markets to 10 countries including Australia, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, South Africa and Uruguay.

The partnership has enabled Water.org to expand support to new countries like Brazil and Mexico, a country in which, as of 2015, only 14% of the population had access to piped water 24 hours a day. Water.org is already laying the foundation for household level impact in 2019[1].

And, in 2017, Stella Artois and Water.org announced a new four-year commitment to help provide 3.5 million people with long-term, sustainable access to clean water by 2020. Expanding donation opportunities and the reach of the program will help achieve this ambitious goal.

To date, Stella Artois has helped Water.org provide more than 1 million people in the developing world with access to clean water through the sale of more than 500,000 Limited-Edition Chalices and by directly donating more than $8 million to Water.org.

“Water.org is continually scaling and evolving our model to help end the global water crisis,” said Gary White, CEO and co-founder of Water.org. “We recently celebrated empowering 10 million people with access to safe water and sanitation. Our partnership with Stella Artois helped us achieve this important milestone, and it will continue to advance Water.org’s goal of reaching 60 million people by 2022.”

For more information and to get involved visit: www.water.org/stellaartois.

Join the conversation online @StellaArtois #givethemtimeback

About Stella Artois

Stella Artois® is part of a Belgian brewing tradition dating back to 1366. It is the No. 1 Belgian beer in the world and is present in 95 countries. Stella Artois is a bottom filtered, blonde pilsner. It is thirst quenching with a malty middle and crisp finish delivering a full flavour and a hint of bitterness. Stella Artois is best enjoyed served between 3 and 5 degree Celsius and should be served in the unique Stella Artois Chalice according to the 9-Step Pouring Ritual to guarantee a perfect experience of this gold standard lager.  Visit www.stellaartois.com for more information.

About Water.org

For more than 25 years, Water.org has been at the forefront of developing and delivering solutions to the global water crisis. Founded by Gary White and Matt Damon, Water.org pioneers market-driven financial solutions to ensure all people have access to safe water and sanitation -- giving women hope, children health and communities a future. To date, Water.org has positively transformed the lives of more than nine million people around the world. Learn more at http://water.org 

[1] Percepción del servicio potable de agua y cultura del agua en México, study by  Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografia, 2015