Stella Artois Film, Sweater Pack Promote Beer, Neighborliness

In the wake of a Pew Research study finding just 31% of Americans say they know their neighbors, Stella Artois unveiled a new docufilm by renowned documentary director Tatia Pilieva, that features a customized Stella Artois two-pack serving as a catalyst to bring neighbors together.

The Stella Together Holiday Sweater Pack cozily cradles two beers in a red knit button-down sweater, and includes a cleverly designed two-piece magnetized bottle key that only works when both parts come together.

As a way to encourage Americans to reach out to their neighbors, the brand will be giving away 500 of the Stella Together Holiday Sweater Packs on www.stellaartois.com/Neighbors. Those who won’t be given one will still have an opportunity to win simply by sharing a photo of you and your neighbor on social with the hashtags #stellaneighbors and #contest.

“I’m inspired by human connection,” stated Pilieva. “The goal was to light a spark and watch it grow and I was excited to work with Stella on something so spontaneous and fun. We all grew up with role models that encouraged us to extend ourselves, to share and be a good neighbor. I wanted to pay tribute to that — we are open, kind, friendly and vulnerability really resonates on screen.”

Shot in various neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Manhattan, the story unfolds through a series of heartfelt interactions and conversations between six pairs of neighbors who may pass each other in the same hall every day but, until this opportunity, have never truly met. Capturing an intimate intertwining of shared moments, unexpected vulnerability, laughter, and even some spontaneous singing, the film’s focus on real neighbors opening up for the first time aims to be an uplifting inspiration on the positivity and joy of connecting with those closest to us, especially during the holiday season.

“When we get drawn into our own lives, it’s so easy to get caught up in what we’re doing. But reaching out to say hi and hanging out over a few beers can go a long way,” said Leroy Church, a 32-year old dancer who got to know his next-door neighbor, Jake Russo, through Stella’s social experiment. Both Leroy and Jake plan to continue their newfound friendship over a standing karaoke session each week.

“New York is a microcosm of neighborhoods everywhere, and given that New Yorkers are statistically less likely to interact with their neighbors, we were intrigued to see how people would react in this social experiment. With our holiday campaign being all about creating meaningful moments, we knew we wanted to find ways to bring together our larger community and create an opportunity to orchestrate connections all over the map,” said Lara Krug, VP of marketing, Stella Artois.