��������

Anheuser-Busch’s premium beer brand, Stella Artois, has released its Super Bowl ad for 2025. Titled ‘David and Dave’, the charming spot features the brand’s global ambassador, David Beckham, discovering his long-last brother, Dave – played by Matt Damon. 

The film has been created, produced and edited via Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s creative studio, Artists Equity, and was directed by Ben Affleck. The film also launches Stella Artois’ new year-long brand platform, ‘For Moments Worth More’. 

“This spot isn’t just about Stella Artois – it’s about the wit and entertainment factor that makes Super Bowl ads iconic,” Chris Jones, group VP of marketing, premium brands at Anheuser-Busch tells ��������’s Ben Conway. “We’re setting the tone for the entire year with the idea of ‘David and Dave’, and aiming to connect the brand with more people on more occasions.

“We wanted this spot, as well as the full-year campaign behind it, to feel big, bold and relevant for everyday beer drinkers as well as casual ones, while maintaining Stella Artois' wit, charm, and premium cachet,” he continues. “It was a balancing act, but Artists Equity Advertising understood our goal clearly and brought a powerful idea that we felt could build Stella Artois’ relatability with broader audiences. The dichotomy of Matt Damon and David Beckham as long-lost, and seemingly incompatible, brothers gave us a platform for engaging storytelling that we will have a lot of fun with across the whole year.”

The 60-second gameday film shows the two ‘brothers’ bonding over some beer and wings, before ‘Dave’ shows he also has the kicking ability of his footballer brother. Multiple spots across the next 11 months will also keep building on the story of ‘David and Dave’ and observe their ongoing relationship. The campaign will be accompanied by a full surround sound national marketing effort, including TVC, OOH, digital, social, retail and more throughout 2025. 

“Stella Artois has always been a timeless, elevated brand, but it also has an inherent sociability when it comes to the product – it's a beer meant to be shared,” explains Brandon Pierce, VP ECD at Artists Equity. “That led us to the core idea: Finding charm in an unexpected connection between two people over a Stella Artois.”

Very early in the process, this led to the idea of bringing David Beckham and Matt Damon together. “They’re both global icons, have history with the brand, and bring their own unique presence and personality,” continues Brandon. “But the real moment of inspiration came when we leaned into the idea of a long-lost brother – something so absurd yet oddly fitting. It gave us the perfect comedic runway while staying true to the ‘For Moments Worth More’ campaign of bringing people together over a shared moment. Once we landed on that, we knew we had something special.” 

“Pairing David and Matt was a no-brainer,” adds Chris. “David exudes a cool confidence, and Matt brings this over-the-top, totally committed performance as ‘Dave Beckham’ that makes the whole thing work. Our Super Bowl spot is the type of ad that makes you do a double take and want to watch again, which is exactly what we set out to create.”

Brandon suggests that a modern Super Bowl ad also has to be more than just an ad – rather, it must be an “experience”. This means creating conversations that continue long after the game itself. “With that in mind, we set out to make something that was cinematic, character-driven, ownable for the brand and had real storytelling weight behind it – not just a punchline or a flashy gimmick.” 

Above: Teaser Film

The Artists Equity team avoided anything that felt predictable or disposable, leaning into a fully realised world with a slightly surreal premise that plays out like a scene from a movie. This led to that prompted online sleuths to ask, ‘Who is the Other David?’ through a series of strategic social campaigns and OOH billboards in LA and New York.

“At the same time, we made sure to embrace the spectacle and wit that people expect from a Super Bowl commercial,” says Brandon. “The fun of this spot is in its commitment – playing the ‘long-lost brother’ idea straight while letting the charm and whimsical tone shine through.”

As Artists Equity strategises, writes, produces, directs, and edits the work in the same team, this fosters a highly collaborative partnership that lays a strong foundation for the talent to create organic moments on set. “David and Matt truly fed off each other's spark, creating true laughter for everyone on set,” says Brandon. “Overall, the biggest takeaway was how much fun a well-executed concept can be when the talent is fully on board. Everyone brought their A-game, and it showed in every frame.”

Moving forward, this idea will expand beyond ‘David and Dave’ as part of 2025’s ‘For Moments Worth More’ campaign, exploring how Stella Artois can be a part of everyday but meaningful moments – catching up with old friends, celebrating a big win, or even discovering a long-lost twin. “At the heart of it, Stella Artois isn’t just a beer – it’s a symbol of great conversations, memorable experiences, and those unexpected moments that stick with you,” says Brandon. “That’s the foundation of ‘For Moments Worth More’, and we’re excited to keep building on it.”

This year-long campaign evolves from 2024’s ‘A Taste Worth More’ platform, seeking to now link the brand’s quality credentials and distinctive taste, with those meaningful connections in a broader set of occasions. “We often say that Stella Artois is not only for special moments, but that it also makes everyday moments more special,” says Chris, explaining how the Big Game was the “perfect” launchpad. 

“We wanted to grab consumer’s attention in a way that felt truly memorable and took the cultural relevance we’ve been building over the last two years, through partnerships with David Beckham, FX’s ‘The Bear’, and ‘Hot Ones’, to another level. With Super Bowl LIX, we have a special opportunity to reach a mass audience when they’re most attuned and paying attention, so we wanted to seize the opportunity with a fun idea that established Stella Artois as a beer for elevating those everyday, unexpected moments.”

So you can expect to see a range of work from the brand in 2025 that taps into a variety of cultural moments, and goes well beyond traditional advertising – all to show the moments that are worth a little more over a Stella Artois.