The world water crisis is one of the most important issues of our times. And while we are often made aware of the water crisis in the developed world, the human impact of lack of access to clean water in the developing world is chronically under-reported. The reason is simple - the issue doesn't feel urgent. The 663 million aren't suffering from thirst, but they are being trapped into a cycle of poverty, generation after generation, because of the up to six hours a day they have to spend walking to water pumps in neighboring villages, rather than using this time to build a more meaningful future for themselves and their children.

What if a simple beer could help end the world water crisis? It was an ambitious thought, but by partnering with water charity, Water.org, we set out to do so through the most simple of ideas.

1 Limited Edition Chalice = 5 Years of Clean Water.

A yet powerful invitation to our drinkers to come together and help end the world water crisis by turning our iconic drinking Chalice into a powerful force for change.

We created a series of limited edition Chalices, beautifully designed by local artists from the affected regions. Each Chalice, when bought by one of our drinkers, donated 5 years of clean water to the impacted regions through the digging of wells and installation of water pumps.

We launched in 2015 with three Chalices and a small communications campaign. By the end of 2016 we had sold 300K. So in 2017 & 2018, we wanted to take things further. So we expanded the donation mechanic from just the Chalice to the liquid (1 draught = 1 month) and on pack (12 pack = 12 months). We made drinkers feel the impact of not having clean water through a social experiment, while on Canada’s most viewed Morning Show, hosts took up a water challenge to not use water for 6 hours. We took the cause to the Superbowl, telling Americans that if only 1% of them bought a Chalice, we could end the water crisis for good. We embedded the cause in culture through a multi-market Oscars night integration. And finally, we made the cause tangible through an iconic installation at Grand Central Station in New York City.

The campaign has changed lives today, and inspired an organizational commitment to help end the global water crisis for good. Since a one market launch in 2015, the program is now running in 10 markets, delivered 3.4 billion media impressions, sold over 800K chalices and helped 1.67 million people gain access to clean water in 2018.

Our drinkers were looking to brands to do more than make them look good, but to do good. We recognized we could further Stella Artois' commitment to water sustainability in a more meaningful way by harnessing the desire of our drinkers to make a difference.

As part of AB-InBev, Stella Artois has an on-going commitment to water sustainability. Yet, Stella Artois wanted to take this commitment further. Lack of access to clean water affects 663 million people in the developing world, meaning they spend up to 6 hours a day collecting it. Stella Artois wanted to create a program that would help contribute to ending the world water crisis for good.