Stella Artois taps 'Love Is Blind' stars to talk romance on Instagram Live

Dive Brief:

Stella Artois is kicking off a new social media campaign and contest powered by a couple from Netflix reality show "Love Is Blind," in which the brand will pay for the wedding of one couple that gets engaged while social distancing, the company shared with Marketing Dive.
Lauren Speed-Hamilton and Cameron Hamilton, who met and got engaged on the show without seeing each other in person, will host an Instagram Live session tonight at 9 p.m. ET to share tips for maintaining long-distance relationships during quarantine. Viewers can submit questions to the couple.
Couples who get engaged between March 13 and May 25 can share images of their engagement on Twitter using the hashtag #WeddingContest to enter the contest. The Hamiltons will choose the winning couple, whose wedding will be funded by Stella Artois.

Dive Insight:

Stella Artois' social campaign is centered on an uplifting theme at a time when most people are stuck at home under city- or state-wide lockdowns.

By tapping Netflix personalities who got famous from falling in love without being physically together, the brand is delivering a positive narrative about how love can still exist during coronavirus-related social distancing. Stella Artois is focusing on how singles can maintain romantic endeavors through digital channels, albeit in atypical circumstances. Extending the effort on Speed-Hamilton's social channels, which have followings of more than 2 million, will likely help the AB InBev brand reach new audiences who may be fans of the Netflix show.

Many brands have adjusted their campaign messaging toward positive narratives to create a feeling of community and solidarity during the pandemic. Guinness and Ford, for instance, tweaked advertisements to promote how they're financially supporting their communities in this time of widespread need.

Stella Artois is offering to pay for a wedding at a time when many people have lost jobs, been furloughed or taken pay cuts, causing some to potentially delay engagements and other major life changes. The campaign offers hope to people who want to get married by focusing on the fact that this pandemic will end and weddings will go on at some point.

A recent study from Kandar found that 78% of consumers think brands should help them in their daily lives during the outbreak. The report also found that consumers expect to hear positive stories from brands. Half of consumers said they think companies should speak about their brands in carefree and uplifting ways.