Heineken’s First Gaming Campaign Breaks Anti-Social Stereotypes
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Gaming is often stereotyped as a reclusive pastime, but Heineken is challenging that notion with a celebration of its community spirit.
The beer brand’s first major campaign dedicated to gamers taps into an insight well-known among that audience: online games are just another way to socialize. A film, titled Just Another Night Out, tells the story of Alex and three friends who are organizing a time to hang out.
Set in the Brazilian city of São Paulo, the ad shows the group texting each other from various locations including a boxing ring, a barber’s chair and an orchestra rehearsal as they arrange to meet up that night. As they rush to make it on time, grabbing bottles of Heineken from their fridges, it’s revealed that they are meeting online in a game rather than a bar.
“Not all nights out are out,” the endline says.
The global campaign launches in Brazil because it is one of the largest gaming markets in the world, with 88% of the population playing video games on some type of device.
Beyond the commercial, the campaign includes several gaming activations. “In-Games Bars” will offer vouchers for Heineken products within 2,700 mobile games, while delivery food and drink app IFood will allow gamers to order the brand’s beverages.
Additionally, Heineken has teamed up with São Paulo supermarket chain St. Marche for a “Beer Matchmaking” experience meeting a common complaint of gamers trying to connect with others. Through a limited-edition Heineken bottle with a QR code, players can find matches according to their favorite type of game.
The brand will also partner with streaming platform Twitch and TikTok for a series of gaming challenges.
Publicis Groupe creative shop Le Pub developed the campaign through its gaming and innovation division Le Garage. Frederic Planchon directed the film through production company Academy Films.
Challenging misconceptions
With this campaign, Heineken wants to break the stereotype of gaming as an anti-social hobby, said Eduardo Picarelli, director of the brand’s business unit in Brazil.
“We entered the universe of games because we have something in common: the fact that socialization is both the core of our brand and the gamer community,” Picarelli said in a statement. “The role chosen for Heineken in this campaign is to demystify the image of the gamer isolated from friends.”
Heineken previously ventured into gaming culture in 2021, with nonalcoholic beverage Heineken 0.0 sponsoring an online tournament with Formula 1 called Player 0.0, which continued into 2022.
CREDITS:
Sr. Director Global Heineken Brand: Bram Westenbrink
Global communication director: Agnieszka Gorecki
Global communication manager: Guilherme Retz
Brand global PR lead: Jonathan O’Lone
Global head digital consumer innovation: Natacha Volpini
Brazil CMO: Nabil Nasser
Brazil brand director: Eduardo Picarelli
Brazil Sr brand manager: Igor de Castro
Brazil brand manager: Marina Awada
Brazil head of PR: Adriana Teixeira
Agency: Publicis Italy/LePub & LePub Brazil
Global CEO Le Pub, Global CCO Publicis Worldwide and CCO Publicis Groupe Italy: Bruno Bertelli
Global chief creative officer: Cristiana Boccassini / Mihnea Gheorghiu
Chief creative officer Brazil: Felipe Cury
Global executive creative director: Andrey Tyukavkin
Creative director Brazil: Greg Kickow / Alex Adati
Associate creative director Italy: Stefano Zanoni, Roberto Ardigò
Copywriter Brazil: Andressa Cruz
Intern art director Italy: Thu Cao
Intern copywriter Italy: Amilcar Silarsah Veerapen
Intern copywriter Italy: Başak Özkeskin
Global head of PR and communication: Isabella Cecconi
General manager Brazil: Ana Hernandes
Business director Brazil: Jayme Neto
Group account director Italy: Ilaria Castiglioni
Global account director: Derek Muller
Global data strategist: Ilko Petkov
Global strategy director: Monica Radulescu / James Moore
Head of strategy Brazil: Silvia Paes
Global chief production officer: Francesca Zazzera
Producer post production Brazil: Marcia Lacazze
Producer post production Italy: Sabrina Sanfratello
Production company: Academy Films
Director: Frederic Planchon
DOP: Ruben Impens
Executive producer: Simon Cooper
Producer: Dulcie Kellett
https://www.adweek.com/creativity/heinekens-first-gaming-campaign-breaks-anti-social-stereotypes/