Menabrea Smuggles Beer Through the Alps in an Epic Ark-Made Film
Menabrea, the premium Italian Alpine lager, has launched a cinematic film via Ark telling the story of a gutsy smuggler moving contraband beer through the mountains — a provenance-first play that sells heritage rather than product features.
The campaign
Menabrea, the premium lager brewed in the Italian Alpine town of Biella since 1846, has released a long-form film built around a spirited smuggler and her nun-accomplices moving contraband beer across the mountains. Created by Ark, the agency that won the account in 2025, the work trades hard product messaging for story, place and craft.
It is a deliberate bet on provenance. Rather than list tasting notes, the film wraps the brand in a sense of origin — the Alps, heritage and a little mischief — and lets that world do the persuading.
Why provenance sells premium
In a crowded premium beer market, features are easy to copy and hard to remember. Provenance is not. A credible story of where a beer comes from, and who has made it for how long, is one of the few assets a rival cannot simply replicate. It justifies the price premium and gives drinkers something to repeat.
That is why heritage brands increasingly invest in cinematic storytelling. The film is not really about beer smuggling; it is about making a 179-year-old brewery feel worth choosing over a supermarket own-label at a fraction of the price.
The craft of long-form in a short-form world
Choosing a long-form narrative in an era of six-second cut-downs is itself a statement. It signals confidence and quality, and it gives the brand a hero asset to atomise into shorter edits across channels. The mistake many brands make is producing only short content and leaving no emotional centre for it to orbit.
Menabrea's approach mirrors a broader drinks trend: fame-driven, character-led films that reward attention. It sits comfortably alongside the category's recent run of ambition, from Birra Moretti's reluctant celebrity ambassador to a wave of heritage-forward lager storytelling.
What brands should take from it
If your brand has a real story of origin, craft or history, use it — it is a moat, not a nice-to-have. Audit what only you can say, and build your communications around that rather than around features anyone can claim. Authenticity here matters: provenance only works when it is true.
For smaller producers, the lesson scales down. You may not have a cinematic budget, but you can still lead with where you come from and who makes your product. In a market of sameness, a genuine origin story is often the most persuasive thing you own.
Quick FAQ
Who made Menabrea's new film?
The cinematic Alpine smuggler film was created by Ark, the agency that won the Menabrea account in 2025. Menabrea is a premium Italian lager brewed in Biella since 1846.
Why does the campaign focus on provenance?
Provenance is difficult for rivals to copy and justifies a price premium. A credible heritage story gives drinkers a memorable reason to choose the brand over cheaper alternatives.
Why use a long-form film?
Long-form storytelling signals quality and creates a hero asset that can be cut down into shorter edits across channels, giving all the short content an emotional centre to orbit.
Features can be copied by breakfast; provenance can't. Menabrea isn't really selling a smuggling caper — it's selling 179 years of a place, and daring you to find that at own-label prices. The brands with a true origin story should treat it as their moat. In a category of sameness, where you come from is often the most persuasive thing you own. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
The takeaway: in a crowded premium market, provenance is a moat rivals can't copy — if your brand has a genuine story of origin or craft, build your communications around it, not around features anyone can claim.
What can your brand say about its origins that no competitor can honestly copy — and are you putting it front and centre?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: Campaign UK, More About Advertising, The Stable.
Related reading
Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
Comments