This two-minute commercial for Stella Artois Beer, shot in 2005, is as engaging to watch as a Harold Lloyd black-and-white silent comedy from the 1920s. Directed by UK-based Jonathan Glazer for Lowe London, the Stella Artois “Ice Skating Priests” ad says a lot about the history and reputation of this Belgian pilsner beer without actually saying a word. We get the idea that Stella Artois has been around since the 1920s by viewing the action in grainy bxw. The film imitates the look and feel of an old silent picture with its use of flat, even light in every scene and the minimal use of camera angles. The soundtrack is the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 by Listz.

The exclusivity of Stella Artois is conveyed by the sight of humble priests surreptitiously pooling their funds to send a young priest off to buy a case to make their ice skating outing an extra special occasion. The ad campaign’s slogan simply reads “Reassuringly Expensive.”