The International beer brand – Heineken, is 150 years old!
Heineken is marking this milestone with a global campaign that shows how the brand doesn’t care how consumers drink, name, or spell it, as long as they are having a good time with it, one way or another.
The new campaign is based on the famous words of Freddy Heineken, one of the most iconic personalities in Heineken’s history: “I don’t sell beer, I sell gezelligheid. “Gezelligheid,” a Dutch term, embodies the feeling of joy and delight in experiencing “good times.
The campaign includes a TVC which takes viewers on a journey around the world highlighting all the different ways people adapt and enjoy social moments and memories with Heineken – while showing that they are not always done in the way the brand necessarily intended or expected. From an incorrectly spelled tattoo of the Heineken logo to a beer being served with lime, straw, and even ice. The light-hearted film also features nods to the brand’s many sponsorships, which have enabled good times, including featuring former Formula 1 World Champion, Mika Hakkinen.
In addition to the TVC, Heineken is making its open-mindedness publicly known by playfully rebranding its social media accounts and website pages – temporarily renaming itself as ‘Ainechen’, ‘Hekkenen’, and ‘Ainekan’, with the message “However you choose to pronounce us. Here’s to 150 years of good times!”
Bram Westenbrink, global head of the Heineken brand, in a statement, said: “We’re open-minded about the way that our consumers refer to us, how they spell and nickname us, and how they drink Heineken because we know this doesn’t really matter. Throughout our 150-year legacy, we have learned that good times are not about getting it right, but about the conditions, locations, and people we are able to enjoy a beer.
While how we enjoy good times may have changed and may differ in each of the 192 countries we are sold in, the need for good times remains the same and consistent, just like our beer. So, this campaign is a celebration of that universally shared experience, and the joy quality socialising and human connection can have for people, one way or another.”
Heineken is available in over 192 countries, making it the world’s most international beer brand. With Heineken 0.0 and Heineken Silver, the Heineken brand remains one of the most innovate when it comes to choice and flavour, ensuring all modern needs and tastes are met.
