Facebook users who receive a “secret gift” invitation from the Belgian brewer can either accept it or pass it forward to a friend. Each time someone passes, Water.org receives a 10 cent donation, resulting in a interactive campaign on multiple levels.

“We worked closely with our agency to conceive a truly unique and engaging program built around engagement and sharing,” said Rick Oleshak, director at Stella Artois, St. Louis. “Ensuring it held true to our holiday roots and had a strong mobile element were two top priorities.

“Additionally, we knew Facebook was the perfect starting point based upon reach, user rate and audience engagement,” he said. “Two more elements played a role in the development of ‘The Gift.’

“We wanted to build upon the momentum of last year’s holiday digital campaign with Alice Eve and we wanted to include a cause element.”

Friending fans
The campaign is open to the first 25,000 people who register and receive the gift from Stella Artois and to anyone else who receives the gift from a Facebook friend, in which case the user does not have to register.

Those who register or are given a gift receive an email stating their gift has arrived. They are then prompted to “make a choice.” The gift can either be claimed or passed on to someone else.

The campaign does not state what gift participants will receive if they redeem their gift. Those who pass along the gift to others will create chains of giving.

Participants in the longest chain will be eligible for a Stella Artois crystal chalice.

Both Stella Artois Facebook fans and non-fans, age 21 and older, are eligible to take part in the “The Gift.” Users just need to register at stellaartois.com/thegift or receive a gift from one of their Facebook friends.

Benefitting all
More brands and companies are launching similar campaigns that expand their presence on social media.

For example, Visa ran a similar campaign in September as part of a promotion for the National Football League (see story).

Stella Artois benefits by seeking out consumers on the mobile platforms where they are already engaged and connected to the people, interests and things they love.

“The Gift” takes this a step further by including the charity, Water.org. The campaign also features a video by actress and singer Alice Eve of the movie “Star Trek Into Darkness,” which outlines the central premise and invites consumers to participate.

“The holidays are grounded in generosity,” Mr. Oleshak said.”We wanted to do our part and donate to an unbelievably worthy cause.”

“The Gift” allows Stella Artois to engage with its fans in a way that is true to the Stella Artois holiday story. The beer was originally brewed as a holiday gift to the people of Leuven, Belgium.

“We also wanted to give our fans the opportunity to get involved in something bigger this holiday season,” Mr. Oleshak said. “That’s why we’re giving fans the choice to not only give a gift to their friends or family, but to help support a broader cause, with our charity partner Water.org.”

“The Gift” promotion, which is now in process, ends at 2:59 p.m. CST, Dec. 21.

Giving mobile
This is not the first time that Stella Artois has leveraged mobile to offer consumers a more personalized experience. In September, Stella Artois updated its Le Bar Guide mobile application, enabling users to find nearby nightspots based on their mood (see story).

Stella Artois is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev.

A large portion of audiences access their social media channels via their mobile phones, according to Dale Carr, CEO of LeadBolt, Los Angeles.

Mr. Carr is affiliated with neither Stella Artois nor Facebook. He commented based on his expertise.

“That said, the social media medium is all about the art of ‘surprising and delighting’ users with unexpected perks and experiences,” Mr. Carr said.  “Sharing and ‘paying it forward’ is a great mode of connecting fans around a shared interest in your brand.”

Final Take
Kari Jensen is staff writer on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York