Heineken Pours One Out for All the Forgotten Beers
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“Want to grab a beer?” is a common invitation to socialize. A new ad from Heineken emphasizes that the fun had together at a bar can be more important than the actual drink.
Developed by creative agency LePub and coinciding with International Beer Day Aug. 2, the “Forgotten Beers” spot presents a series of vignettes where bottles or glasses of Heineken are set aside: forgotten at a pool or foosball table, left on a bar when the drinker goes to dance, set on a rail to smooch with a date or filled with confetti during a New Year’s celebration.
The soundtrack is Claude Debussy’s Claire de Lune, with the melancholy music contrasting with the lively conversations, laughter and cheering in the background. The scenes end with a man receiving a glass from a bartender, taking a sip and immediately abandoning his drink to greet friends.
The ad is part of Heineken’s push to encourage in-person connection, which has previously included a collaboration with streetwear retailer Bodega to release a low-tech phone during Milan Fashion Week.
The beer brand’s efforts are driven by insights from a 2023 study from Gallup and Meta on the global state of social connections, which found that 24% of the world’s population feels very or fairly lonely.
“On International Beer Day, we truly get to show what the Heineken brand stands for—good times together,” Heineken CEO Dolf van den Brink said in a statement. “Of course, we celebrate our beer, but what we’re most proud of is 150 years of bringing people together—something that will remain at our core for as long as we continue to produce beer.”
The ad is reminiscent of Coca-Cola’s “Spills” campaign in May, which zoomed in on spilled drinks as a way to celebrate sharing joy with loved ones. Along with Ikea’s Cannes-winning “Proudly Second Best” campaign, the ads are part of a trend of brands looking to make emotional connections with consumers by placing people over their own products.
CREDITS
Senior director, global Heineken brand: Nabil Nasser
Global communications and strategy director: Daniela Iebba
Global communications manager: Alexander Drake
Global digital director: Rob van Griensven
Global digital manager: Bob Van Iersel
Global public relations lead: Jonathan O’Lone
LePub
Global CEO, LePub and chief creative officer, Publicis Worldwide: Bruno Bertelli
Global CCO: Cristiana Boccassini
CCO: Mihnea Gheorghiu
CCO, LePub Brazil: Felipe Cury
Executive creative director: Eoin Sherry
Executive creative director LePub Brazil: Greg Kickow
Head of art: Andrea Ferlauto
Creative director: Marie Poumeyrol
Creative director LePub Brazil: Yan Prado
Associate creative directors: Alessandro Agnellini, Fernando Dominguez
Senior copywriter: Katharina Haller
Senior art director: Joao Araujo
Copywriter: Zelda Ridgway
Art director: Alice Berlande
Chief strategy officer: Sol Ghafoor
Senior strategic planner: Alex Moore
Global head of PR and communication: Isabella Cecconi
Senior digital PR manager: Federica Fiorentino
Social strategy director: Vanessa Satta
Social lead: Tatiana Katsai
Global client service directors: Shirine Aoun, Ilaria Castiglioni
Group account director:Madalina Marica
Account supervisor: Tinatin Prangishvili
Chief production officer: Francesca Zazzera
Head of TV production: Anna Sica
Producer: Martina Mozzillo
Art buyer: Caterina Collesano
Production and print managers: Daniela Inglieri, Tina Paolella
Photo production and postproduction: Section 80
Photographer: Lou Escobar
Film Production
Production company: Tempomedia
Director: Alex Feil
Director of production: Paul Guilhaume
Executive producer: Vera Portz
Producer: Gunnar Meyer
Film Postproduction
Editors: Iain Whitewright, Fabrizio Squeo
Color: Matthieu Toullet
Postproduction: Gabha Studios, Prodigious
Sound studio: Disc2Disc, Milano
Music
Music agency: Sizzer
Music supervisor: Richard Aardenburg
Music producer: Mees Van Der Velde
Executive creative director: Michiel Marsman
Executive music supervisor: Sander van Maarschalkerweerd
Dentsu
Global client director: Kate Hinz
Global strategy director: Elio LaGrua
Edelman
Senior director: Suzy Socker
Associate director: Harry Zelenka Martin
Account director: Saskia Butler-Tempest
Project manager: Priscilla McIntosh
Account manager: Charlotte Nash
Associate account executive: Carien Vanrietschoten
Publicis Media – meme creators content
Content lead: Marco Sorrentino
Content director: Silvia Beretta
Content specialist: Giuseppe Santoro
Content executive: Alessandro Fici
BDB (Billion Dollar Boy)
Group account director: Sami Westwood
Account director: James Silverstone
Account manager: Taylah Lowe-Allen
Creative director: Alex Williamson
Senior creative: Brooke Clark
Boomerang – Part of Publicis Groupe
CCO: Rico de Lange
Creative director: William Reed
Senior creative: Rui Huppe
Junior creatives: Nynke Driessen, Jerome Hompes
Post producer: Lina Joukhadar
Community manager: Jesus Sanz
Senior digital project manager: Jeanne Laval
Account executive: Natalia Cortes
https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/heineken-pours-one-out-for-all-the-forgotten-beers/