Heineken as an alcohol brand takes experiential very seriously and the same has been proven time and again through their varied marketing initiatives. From creating VIP lounges during Football seasons to launching its very own football league, from innovative installations at Coachella to initiatives at Submerge Goa projects and from pop up lounges at the London design festival to the most admired Holland Heineken house; the brand has always succeeded in creating experiences for its customers.
This time at EE, we celebrate some of the best experiential initiatives by the brand as we list down 5 momentswhen Heineken amazed everyone through their experiential campaigns.
1- Heineken’s Departure roulette
This one will always be remembered as one of the craziest and wackiest experiential campaigns by any brand ever. Through this campaign travelers at the New York’s Kennedy airport became a part of a roulette wherein they could change their flight to a more exotic destination at the push of a button. Those taking part in the adventurous campaign had to agree to drop their existing travel plans without knowing the new destination and immediately board a flight to the new place.
Heineken booked hotels for these travelers and provided cash to cover expenses. It promoted the message of ‘drop everything’ and ‘go anywhere’ through this initiative. Many travelers agreed to take up the challenge and give up on their planned trips to be a part of this experiential campaign. This one was guaranteed to provide the travelers an experience that they will never forget.
2-Pop-up City Lounge at London Design Festival
Heineken in this experiential initiative created a Pop-up City Lounge concept at London Design Festival as part of the brand’s Open Design Exploration series. The activation was crafted after Heineken responded to suggestions of what the ultimate lounge bar should look like, after tens of thousands of consumers shared their thoughts on social media platforms like Instagram and Tumblr.
Twenty young designers from across the globe created the ultimate nightlife experience for this Heineken initiative. And the pop-up city lounge then became the ultimate party destination for the attendees of the London Design Festival. Indeed, no one parties like Heineken.
3-Heineken Star Cabs activation
Heineken launched its Star Cabs experiential initiative in August 2014 and this initiative was designed to encourage Londoners to break their usual weekend drinking routines.Conceptualized as part of the company’s ‘Open your city’ campaign with agency RPM, the activation was executed in 30 bars across London wherein consumers who purchase a Heineken will receive a complimentary branded wallet to encourage them to take part in the experience.
Participants were then asked to fill in their details and location on the activations digital web app for a chance to win a drive in a branded ‘star cab’ across the capital. The taxi will drop winners in another participating venue across town, along with a map of the surrounding area to explore. They will be welcomed by a host, served a Heineken and guided through the bar. The campaign became a raging success instantly with the success stories being circulated across all social media platforms.
4- Heineken Carol Karaoke
This one is another famous experiential campaign by the brand based on the fun festive-themed karaoke booth. The brand through this campaign invited people to sing in its Carol Karaoke booth and then dared them to let tens and thousands of people enjoy their melodious and not so melodious voices with a direct live feed at various locations, including billboards at Times Square, in NYC cabs and big screens at a NBA basketball game. Karaoke anyone?
5- John Smith’s creates beer-shaped star constellation
The last example in the list is not by Heineken directly but a brand under its umbrella. Heineken brand John Smith’s has recently created a constellation in the sky comprising 100 stars, and it is shaped in a pint of beer.The constellation is located next to Capella, the sixth brightest star in the sky, and it can be viewed by looking to the north. Well for those who think that this is indeed the best experiential marketing example by any brand ever, wait, there is more to it.
The beer brand is also offering members of the public a chance to own a slice of the constellation, so long as they fulfill a particular set of criteria. Those with an ordinary name, who impress the John Smith’s team by showcasing a special talent, could be granted ownership of a star, and have it named after them. Now this is indeed experiential at its best.
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