In an effort to support the nation’s pubs, the UK’s most loved premium lager, Stella Artois has partnered with leading British artists to reimagine a series of pub signs as nude artworks to encourage Brits to raise money for struggling pub sector and those who work in it.
Inspired by the launch of Stella Artois Unfiltered, ‘Beer, au Naturel’, the eleven-piece collections showcase iconic British pub signs in a more ‘free-spirited’ approach. The nude signs are available for online auction for a limited time only, with all profits being donated to Hospitality Action to assist pub workers struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. Stella Artois will then match funds raised, up to £50,000.
The Pub Renaissance collection is the latest iteration of Stella Artois’ support for the On-Trade. Last year, the beer brand launched Stella Please which saw it donate 10p up to the value of £150,000 to Hospitality Action, every time someone said “please” when ordering a pint of Stella Artois. Additionally, in 2021 the launch of “Stella Tips,” provided bar staff with much-needed financial support over the period of closure, donating £500,000 to staff.
The latest campaign aims to highlight the importance of pubs in UK culture, with new research by Stella Artois today revealing that over half of Brits (55 per cent) agree that pubs are still the heart of their local community but 41 per cent of people have noted that two or more pubs in their local area have closed down in the last 10 years.
Whilst the cost-of-living crisis takes its toll, pubs and their employees across the country struggle to pay bills as energy prices continue to skyrocket. The latest data from charity, Hospitality Action, has revealed applications for financial support from hospitality workers are up by almost a third (29 per cent) from the previous year.
The significance of pubs to British culture has been made clear in the research commissioned by Stella Artois – 43 per cent agree pubs can be a lifeline for members of their community and a similar number (42 per cent) say they’re a great place for the community to come together.
Over three quarters (77 per cent) agree it’s sad to see the downfall of so many pubs in recent years, with over 8 in 10 (86 per cent) adding they’d be upset to see their local go and over half (55 per cent) believe the government should do more to support the hospitality industry.
Meg Chadwick, Senior Brand Manager at Stella Artois commented: “As a brand committed to tackling big issues within our communities, we wanted to offer our support to pubs and their amazing staff during this challenging time. As bastions of British culture, pubs deserve to be valued as much as any piece of art hanging in a gallery, which is why we wanted to use this traditional medium – albeit with a cheeky twist – to support them. We want to raise as much money as possible so art and pub lovers – buy nude art, help pubs.”
Mark Lewis, CEO at Hospitality Action, said, “The research clearly identifies the vital role pubs play in our local communities as a place to meet and socialise. But, like many hospitality businesses, pubs are struggling to just stay afloat in these difficult times. That’s why it’s great to see Stella Artois create such a fun way to support pubs and the people who work within them.”
The Pub Renaissance features work from renowned artists including Reuben Dangoor and Heath Kane. Pub landlord and former model, Jodie Kidd, is also lending her support to the campaign by posing in the buff for a new sign that will temporarily hang outside her West Sussex establishment, The Half Moon.
Pub landlord Jodie Kidd said, “I’m very proud to be involved with this campaign. As a landlord myself I’m very aware of the struggles that pubs and the whole of the hospitality industry are facing. My pub is fittingly called The Half Moon, and I can’t wait to see the new sign in all its glory – all for a good cause!”
The cheeky series features the sign of ‘The Cricketers’ reimagined by Reuben Dangoor to star a batsman with a strategically placed bat, a new view of ‘Queen Victoria’ by Sam Rees-Price, and a brand-new portrait of HRH King Charles for ‘The Kings Head’ by Heath Kane ahead of the coronation in May.
Please find more information on the auction here: theauctioncollective.com/auctions/stella-artois-the-pub-renaissance/
