Last year, Heineken introduced its lower-calorie light beer, Heineken Silver, touting a less bitter taste. Now, it is building on its “All the Taste, No Bitter Feelings” platform by reentering the Marvel Universe and resolving the bitterness between Deadpool and Wolverine.
The brand released an ad ahead of the July 26 theatrical release of Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine.
Promotion for the film has heavily focused on the two nearly invulnerable mutants attacking each other. Heineken’s 30-second spot from Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort, LePub and BBH USA opens the same way, with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine throwing Reynolds’ Deadpool against a tree.
But when Wolverine tries to extend his signature adamantium claws to tear into his smug costar, Deadpool reveals that he stole some of the indestructible alloy to create two cans of Heineken Silver. A snippet of “Just the Two of Us” plays as Wolverine sits down to share a beer with Deadpool, although he still insists that he’d rather be fighting.
This campaign continues Heineken’s collaboration with Marvel Studios, which has included integrations within 2021 Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and a 2023 Super Bowl ad linked to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
“The campaign’s creativity spins around the unexpected factor that even the most bitter of adversaries can find common ground over an iconic beer,” global CEO of LePub and chief creative officer of Publicis Worldwide Bruno Bertelli said in a statement. “With ‘All the Taste, No Bitter Endings,’ we brought a twist to the protagonists’ behavior. The result is a campaign that defies expectations, leans into irony and puts on a smile.”
The TV spot will be supported with digital and social media activity, along with in-store promotion.
Heineken Silver launched with an ad showing Vikings settling their grievances with a drink instead of swords.
