AdMiration feature: Stella Artois’ “Celebration ft. David Beckham”

For this week's AdMiration feature, we looked at consumer response to Stella Artois' "Celebration ft. David Beckham”, the brand's hero TV spot for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Read on to get our 3-2-1 snapshot of the ad (3 facts, 2 learnings and 1 reflection) and learn how their ad was received based on our data.

The ad opens on a close-up of a perfectly poured Stella Artois chalice sitting on a bar table. David Beckham reaches into frame and carefully picks up the glass just as the atmosphere around him begins to shift.

Inside the packed sports bar, tension builds ahead of a key moment in the match. Fans lean toward the screen with eyes fixed forward as the noise in the room steadily rises.

Then the crowd erupts. As the celebrations explode around the bar, the film shifts into slow motion and “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by Elvis Presley kicks in. People jump from their seats, strangers embrace and beer spills, but while everyone else loses control, Beckham remains remarkably composed — weaving through the chaos while protecting his Stella chalice from spilling a single drop.

As the celebrations continue around him, the perfectly poured Stella becomes the focus of the ad. The ad closes on Beckham finally taking a sip of his untouched Stella as the campaign line appears on screen: “A Taste Worth More.”

3 facts

• This is an exceptional all-round performer, landing in the top 10% of US ads for its ability to drive short-term sales and in the top 20% for long-term brand equity (Sales Impact: 93; Brand Impact: 84).

• The ad works on two emotional frequencies simultaneously. Overall Emotion is above average at 69 (vs. 57 norm), with Love at 36% (vs. 27% norm) and Laughter scoring almost double the average (12% vs. 7% norm). The ad moves between humor and warmth without losing either.

• The spot builds love for the brand but it also moves people toward buying it at exactly the moment that matters most. Purchase Uplift comes in at 39% (vs. 22% norm) — almost double the average — making Stella Artois the beer people are thinking about when the World Cup comes to their local bar.

2 learnings

• The most powerful brand messages are the ones audiences feel before they're told. "Celebration" never explicitly argues that Stella Artois is worth more than other beers — it shows you. And it does it cleverly. While the celebration erupts around Beckham, viewers are swept along with the collective energy of it — the joy and the shared passion of a World Cup moment. Then comes the realization that his glass is the only one still full. By the time 'A Taste Worth More' appears on screen, viewers have already arrived at the brand's premium message themselves. Love peaks at exactly that moment — the highest point of the entire emotional trace. As one viewer put it: "The Stella was not worth spilling when the excitement happened."

• A masterclass in immediately bringing the brand into the ad in a seamless way. We've covered the power of Stella Artois' chalice before — in our 2024 "Missing Chalices" AdMiration, we made the case that building brand assets beyond the logo gives brands far more flexibility in how they show up in advertising. "Celebration" is proof of that in action. The Stella Artois chalice appears in the very first frame. The product is already on screen before Beckham picks it up and the chaos erupts, making it the main character of the ad. The entire narrative revolves around what's in his hand and whether he can protect it. And the DBA plus a clear role for the brand comes together to create a very well branded ad. Brand Distinctiveness comes in at 4.1 vs. 3.7 norm and Uniqueness of Brand Impressions at 4.2 vs. 3.9 norm. Viewers felt it too: "The prominent red and gold Stella Artois logo on the chalice glass and the appearance of David Beckham made it clear." When your product has a clear role in the story, the brand gets the credit. 

1 reflection

Are you using your brand ambassador as part of a consistent narrative?

There's a difference between simply casting a celebrity and building one into your brand. Stella Artois has spent over two years doing the latter with Beckham and the World Cup ad is the clearest expression of it yet.

Beckham is an obvious World Cup choice — his soccer credentials make him culturally relevant for this moment, and other brands are using him for exactly that reason. But the fit with Stella goes deeper than sports. Beckham has always occupied a different tier to most footballers — think the association with Victoria Beckham and a life that's always been cut above. That's not a coincidence for a brand whose entire platform is built around being worth more. 

What further separates Stella’s casting choice is the consistent narrative behind it and the fact that the brand’s own DBAs — the chalice, the logo, the tagline — ensure it never gets lost behind the celebrity. 

The partnership launched in 2024 with "A Taste Worth More" — a satirical spot designed to convey a humbling experience for one of the world's most recognizable men, where fans in a bar walked straight past Beckham to get to their Stella. The beer was worth more than a chance to meet the celebrity.

And in 2026, the World Cup ad brings the same character to a new occasion where Beckham is protecting his Stella while the room falls apart around him. The beer is still worth more than the chaos.

That consistency is what makes the celebrity investment compound over time. Viewers are recognizing a familiar dynamic between Beckham and the brand. And the attributes data shows what that consistency achieves — "High quality" and "Great for socializing" at 57%, followed by "A premium/luxury feel" at 39%. The focus is on a premium that’s accessible and social, rather than luxurious and exclusive.

"Celebration" is the hero TV spot of Stella Artois' FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, developed by GUT and produced by Landia. The spot debuted on April 15 and stars Beckham, Stella Artois' global brand ambassador. It is part of the brand's "A Taste Worth More" platform, which launched in 2024 with Beckham's first campaign for the brand and extended through the 2025 Super Bowl "David and Dave" spot alongside Matt Damon.

The campaign is built around the idea that the bar is the true home of the tournament's viewing experience. Chris Jones, VP of Marketing for Premium Brands at Anheuser-Busch, said: "Stella Artois' message is simple: moments of great passion deserve to be savored. We believe the true roar of the game is in the electric energy of fans celebrating in their local bars."

Throughout the tournament, fans will find curated viewing experiences transforming bars into ultimate viewing arenas, alongside Stella Artois and FIFA World Cup 2026-branded merchandise and limited-edition packaging. Fans can also enter the #AllRoundsOnBeckham sweepstakes via @StellaArtoisUSA for the chance to win beer money for their Stellas during every round of the tournament.

Stella Artois' sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ is part of Anheuser-Busch's long-term investment in soccer across the US and worldwide, which also includes support for the US and Mexico Men's and Women's National Teams.

"Celebration ft. David Beckham" is an exceptional all-round performer, landing in the top 10% of US ads for its ability to drive short-term sales and in the top 20% for long-term brand equity (Sales Impact: 93, Brand Impact: 84). 

The ad opens on the Stella Artois chalice, leading with the brand's most established distinctive asset before Beckham has said or done anything. The chalice is the product of years of brand investment and this is where it pays off. It’s the most recalled brand asset named by 27% of viewers, ahead of everything else. 

The ad is highly distinctive and grabs attention from the first frame (Ad Distinctiveness: 4.1 vs. 3.7 norm, Claimed Attention: 4.3 vs. 3.9 norm, Brand Distinctiveness: 4.1 vs. 3.7 norm). As one viewer put it: “The prominent red and gold Stella Artois logo on the chalice glass and the appearance of David Beckham made it clear. Also the closing slogan 'A taste worth more' is a specific identifier for the brand.”

It also resonates strongly. Viewers enjoy it (Enjoyment: 4.2 vs. 3.9 norm) and are moved emotionally (Overall Emotion: 69 vs. 57 norm). People really love this ad and they find it funny too. Love comes in at 36% vs. 27% norm and Laughter at 12% vs. 7% norm, nearly double the average. 

The two emotions are working together throughout, ultimately leaving people feeling more positive toward the brand as a whole (Brand Appeal: 4.1 vs. 3.9 norm). And viewers summed it up perfectly: 

• "Fans celebrating during the World Cup spilling beer while David Beckham still has a full pint of Stella Artois."

• "Everyone was celebrating a winning game and everyone celebrated and spilled their beer, except for one guy, who didn't want to spill his great tasting beer."

The ad opens on the Stella Artois chalice, and the moment Beckham picks it up, Love is already building. Then the celebration erupts — beer is flying, the room is losing control — and Laughter kicks in, running alongside Love through the slow-motion creative. Every drink in the room has been spilled except Beckham's. Love rises as Laughter drops and it peaks at the exact moment "A Taste Worth More" appears on screen and Beckham takes his sip. The brand's premium promise — that this beer is worth protecting — lands at the warmest emotional point in the entire ad.

Beckham and the soundtrack are both doing real work here too. Celebrity Appeal and Musical Appeal are well above average at 4.3 (vs. 3.9 norm) and 4.4 (vs. 3.8 norm), respectively. The track is working hard enough that it appears explicitly in brand recall verbatims, becoming a brand cue in its own right alongside the chalice: “The elegant visuals, sophisticated music and refined style along with the logo and classic presentation of Stella Artois made it easy to recognize the brand."

Looking at how the ad lands key category attributes confirm that the brand's strategic ambition is landing. "High quality" and "Great for socializing" both come in at 57%, followed by "A premium/luxury feel" at 39%. Premium and warm at the same time is no easy feat to achieve — and placing Beckham in a bar among ordinary fans is exactly what makes it possible.

Overall the ad is converting effectively too. The ad drives a Purchase Uplift of 39% vs. 22% norm — nearly double the average. For a brand building its presence in the US market through a consistent platform and a consistent ambassador, that kind of commercial result is exactly what sustained creative investment is supposed to deliver.

What a way for Stella Artois to stake a claim on the world's biggest soccer tournament! What did you think? Let us know by interacting with our coverage of the ad on LinkedIn.

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