Carrie Bradshaw once said, “Refuse to settle for anything less than butterflies.” And butterflies are precisely the situation Sex and the City fans have going on right now thanks to the maven of Manolos herself. Because nearly 15 years after the end of the iconic HBO series and nearly 10 years after the second film sequel, Sarah Jessica Parker brought Mrs. Bradshaw back to life… albeit briefly.
In a 15-second commercial, Parker slips into the familiar shoes of Bradshaw once more to recreate the oh-so-beloved opening sequence of Sex and the City. That theme song! That bus! Those clothes! Be still, our Sex and the City-loving hearts.
Sadly, the spot is not an advertisement for a new spinoff series or the much-longed-for next film installment (which, let’s be real, likely isn’t happening at this point). However, fans can take solace in the fact that Bradshaw’s brief revival is for a good cause.
As becomes clear by the end of the spot, it serves to promote a partnership between Belgian pilsner company Stella Artois and Matt Damon’s Water.org nonprofit organization. As Parker’s Bradshaw strolls down a New York City sidewalk looking just as fabulous as ever, a passing bus predictably casts water from a street puddle in her direction.
Only instead of an ad for Bradshaw’s column in the fictional New York Star, the side of the bus features a Stella Artois banner. It reads, “1 bottle = 1 month of clean water.” As it passes, Parker’s Bradshaw muses, “I couldn’t help but wonder, wasn’t it obvious? You make a little change to do a lot of good.”
In making a minor tweak, like trading in your signature cocktail, Parker points out that you can make a big impact. For every bottle of Stella Artois beer sold in stores or at a bar/restaurant, the brand has pledged to provide a month of clean water to those without access to it otherwise.
Parker first teased her collaboration with the “Pour It Forward” campaign over the weekend, sending fans into a frenzy by posting a teaser clip of the ad. Although she told People she’s never before been approached about reprising her role as Bradshaw for a campaign, she couldn’t pass up this particular opportunity.
“I just thought it was incredibly clever, and it made perfect sense. I really feel that this cause is important and urgent, and reviving Carrie in that moment was just the cherry on the sundae,” Parker said, admitting of the shoot, “It was peculiar in a way, but really, really fun and joyful. It was sort of like time stood still for a second and this alternate universe of that life was presented again.”
As for Damon, Water.org’s cofounder, getting Parker to participate proved to be a real coup. “It’s so huge for us to have this iconic character in this iconic moment to drive people to take action,” he told People.
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