Carrie Bradshaw and The Dude are famed for their favourite cocktails, but Stella Artois’ spot sees them swapping their archetypal drinks for a cold beer. We explore the insights behind the ad and why Stella is tapping people’s powerful love for reminiscing over popular culture by giving fans one last glimpse into the lives of their favourite film and television characters.
In Stella Artois' latest advert, two cult favourite characters – Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City, and The Dude from The Big Lebowski – have resurfaced. The pair sit in a bar and turn down the opportunity to order their favourite tipples (a Cosmopolitan for Carrie and a White Russian for The Dude, respectively) in favour of a cold Stella, with the tagline: "Change up the usual". With both stars offering mysterious, character-themed posts on Instagram before the ad’s release, intrigue was stirred among fans who hoped for the show and film's revival.
By featuring protagonists from Sex and the City and The Big Lebowski – two productions that have renounced future sequels, despite continued demand from fans – Stella Artois is playing into the powerful appeal of the discontinued favourite. The cult followings amassed by discontinued brands have been well-documented when it comes to products like makeup, with fans willing to pay more to dig out old favourites. The excitement drummed up by Stella’s ad shows how the same appeal extends to discontinued media series.
Mira Kopolovic is a behavioural analyst at Canvas8. She has a Master’s degree that focused on visual culture and artist-brand collaborations and spends her spare time poring over dystopian literature.
