Stella Artois is a brand that has been imbued with female DNA since its creation over 600 years ago by Isabella Artois. The gender representation values have remained consistent over the centuries. In recent years, Stella Artois has focused on promoting gender equality in gastronomy through several equity initiatives, particularly those targeted towards women.

Two years ago, the brand launched "Uncomfortable Food," a project that raised awareness about gender inequality in the culinary industry and invested in providing credit, visibility, and education to female chefs.

Last year, the brand launched the “Vamos Marcar” project, which encouraged people to visit female-led restaurants by splitting the bill with them.

As the competitive landscape of the industry is ever-changing, with more beers and spirits brands vying for space in restaurants, Stella Artois believes that it's essential to always help the category and those involved thrive in order to remain relevant.

StartHer promotes the start of new female chefs on the starter menus of Michelin-starred restaurants, highlighting and advocating for women's presence in haute cuisine.

We used the brand's track record of building relationships with top restaurants and its negotiation power to promote the inclusion of more women in the most renowned kitchens.

And we made our move at the exact moment the Michelin inspectors were in the country to evaluate the restaurants.

By featuring these entries on the prestigious menus of Michelin-starred restaurants, StartHer marks the beginning of a significant change in the culinary industry, expanding opportunities for female chefs across the sector.

StartHer's scale project is already ongoing: along with Gastromotiva, we created the first program that teaches cooks strategic tools on how to become chefs.

The "7%" of women that lead starred kitchens in Brazil actually refers to one woman: Helena Rizzo.

Firstly, taking advantage of the fact that she's also a Broadcast TV show host, we crafted a strong PR message that highlighted the issue "Helena: the only female Michelin-starred chef in Brazil doesn't want to be the only one, she wants to be one of many."

Then, we strategically transformed featured menu items into vehicles to showcase the work of emerging chefs, precisely when the Michelin Guide inspectors (major opinion influencers) were evaluating restaurants to ensure the recognition of new chefs.

Finally, to ensure broad outreach, we developed a comprehensive PR strategy. This strategy included an exclusive article in Exame, a special program on CNN, and a collaboration with Elle - all of which are key media outlets. These efforts were echoed by dozens of other media outlets across the country.

Making StartHer happen was a team effort that required effective communication. We collaborated with Helena Rizzo, a renowned female chef, from the beginning of the project to curate cooks from all over the country and find the perfect restaurants for their starters. We invited the cooks to Le Cordon Bleu in São Paulo, where they finished their dishes with the guidance of award-winning chefs.

Simultaneously, we negotiated with top restaurants to include the dishes on their menus. We used various media channels, influencers, and PR to spread the word, increase visibility for the chefs, and invite people to appreciate their work.

Furthermore, we expanded StartHer into a larger initiative by partnering with Gastromotiva to create a program that teaches strategic tools to aspiring chefs.

Our first class in 2024 will graduate 3,000 chefs.

StartHer invested more than $1.5 million to guarantee a deserving start for 3,000 female chefs across the nation. Stella Artois shared posts about this initiative, which generated 571 million impressions and received 12 million views in just a few days. The number of restaurants purchasing Stella Artois Pure Gold, the focus product for the project, has grown 153%.

And last but not least, StartHer demonstrated Stella's commitment to gender equity and potential to impact culture by creating a 569% increase in conversations about women in gastronomy compared to the average of the last 3 months.