In September 2025, the AB InBev brewing group, owner of the Budweiser and Quilmes brands, announced the establishment of a global, multi-year co-marketing agreement with Netflix for the joint promotion of both the company’s products and the platform’s films and series. The first big action of that collaboration arrives now and involves the Stella Artois brand and the second season of “The Gentlemen.”
The result is “The Gentlemen’s Serve”, an integrated campaign with international reach that introduces Stellea Artois into the narrative and aesthetic universe of the series created by writer and director Guy Ritchie, whose new installment will premiere on September 3. The strategy has been developed by the creative agency Gut Amsterdam in collaboration with Netflix Brand Studio, the creative production division of the streaming service.
The first materialization of the campaign is “The auction”, a piece starring the actor Theo James, the protagonist of “The Gentlemen”, and the former footballer David Beckham, ambassador of Stella Artois. The minute and a half long ad puts forward the creative idea: serving a Stella Artois to perfection is more than just turning on the beer tap, it’s a power play.
The main spot is accompanied by a collection of sequences that detail the brand’s meticulous process to serve the perfect beer, and in all of them actor Theo James gets into the skin of his character, Eddie Horniman. The first step is cleaning the glass, reflected in “The clean-up”.
The second is related to letting out a few first drops of drink to obtain the precise consistency. The piece is titled “The sacrifice.”
The third step, titled “The angle,” addresses the exact angle at which the glass should be held to receive the beer.
The fourth, “The cut”, shows the removal of the excess foam at the mouth of the glass.
“The judgment” is the fifth and final step, and shows the evaluation of the exact centimeters of foam that the beer should have in the glass.
From AB InBev they point out that there is a parallel between the quality and search for excellence of Stella Artois and the universe of sophistication of the series. “‘The Gentlemen’ fits perfectly with Stella Artois’ brewing tradition and iconic pouring ritual, and having Theo James and David Beckham connect these worlds is a real treat for fans around the world.”, commented Marcel Marcondes, Global Marketing Director of AB InBev, in a statement.
“This campaign is an authentic work of entertainment that awakens the interest of fans far beyond the screen, allowing them to enjoy the series in their daily lives. It’s the kind of collaboration that enriches both the series and the brand.”, expressed, for his part, Magno Herran, Global Vice President of Brand Partnerships and Marketing at Netflix.
The campaign will run in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea; and beyond the audiovisual pieces, it will materialize in special content for the social networks of both brands, experiential activations in key markets and a limited edition of beer glasses. Among other things, an action will take place on September 3, 4 and 5 at The Marlborough pub in London. The space will be themed around the history of the series and visitors will be able to enjoy a beer and participate in a raffle for limited edition items, including their own engraved glass.
