Hakkinen? Hoineke? Heinekee? Why Heineken Doesn't Care How You Spell It as Long as You Have Fun as It Turns 150
For most marketers, their brand spelling is pretty much up there as the number one brand parameter. You get that wrong and it’s all downhill from there.
Consumers though…? Well. They don’t care quite so much. And often a cheeky nickname can express so much more affection or appreciation for a brand and product than rigid compliance to a brand framework. There’s no correct way to enjoy a beer.
And so, with Heineken celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, the team didn’t want to go down the route of storied history and stuffy reverence for the brand. Instead, they looked to the world and the wild, personalised and quirky ways people consume and communicate the brand, from confusing it with Formula One legend Mika Hakkinen to drinking it through a straw.
For Bram Westenbrink, global head of the Heineken brand, the fun and good vibes deep within Heineken’s DNA was far more important than a trifling detail like spelling. And as Bruno Bertelli, global CEO of Publicis Groupe’s bespoke Heineken agency Le Pub, chimes in, as a progressive brand, it just wouldn’t make sense to get bogged down in legacy and rules.
In the campaign, LePub, draws on a global insight that’s culturally diverse and unifying - for evidence of that just compare the globe-trotting international hero film with the homecoming local spot from Le Pub and Boomerang that celebrates the diverse nicknames Heineken has in its motherland. Here, Bram and Bruno talk to Laura Swinton about the insights and surprises that came up along the way and the importance of celebrating the good times.
LBB> Creating a 150-year anniversary campaign is such a responsibility - how did you feel about that responsibility and what was your top priority for the campaign?
Bram> With an iconic global brand like Heineken known for producing the ‘unexpected’ in our campaigns, we felt a particular responsibility to avoid the usual anniversary clichés focused on intricacies like heritage and history. This campaign is uniquely Heineken as we’ve decided to do precisely the opposite of what you might expect from an anniversary.
In fact, our priority was to showcase how little Heineken cares about how consumers drink, name or spell it, as long as they are having a good time with it, one way or another.
LBB> How did you and your partners at Le Pub get started on developing the campaign and story? What was the eureka moment?
Bram> Our partners at LePub activated their Data Lab and found a variety of different insights from all over the world. We quickly realised that there is a common thread across markets regardless of cultural differences. We focused on those in order to make a campaign that is as globally relevant as possible.
LBB> The campaign looks at how people around the world, in all their diversity engage with the brand now, rather than looking back at history and legacy - why were you less interested in a more historic campaign?
Bruno> People don’t care about brands’ anniversaries. That’s why we didn’t want to concentrate on our story but on the good times our brand has been providing and continues to provide. Not taking itself seriously is a crucial trait of Heineken’s brand DNA and that needed to be preserved at all costs. Lastly, Heineken is a progressive brand and it would just feel wrong to look back to the last century!
LBB> What was the most surprising thing you found out about how different people engage with Heineken (whether a wacky pronunciation or crazy drinking style) during the creation of this campaign?
Bruno> There were so many! My favourite ones are the Greek and Nigerian nicknames. In Greece, everybody calls Heineken ‘Prasini’ which means ‘the green one’. It’s curious how this name stuck even after many other beer brands over the years have used a green bottle in that market. In Nigeria is called ‘the chairman’ since it’s considered the most prestigious beer in the market.
LBB> What was the biggest challenge you faced bringing this campaign to life?
Bram> As one of the world’s most global, recognised beer brands present in 192 countries, we needed to ensure the anniversary was relevant for all the markets in which we are adopted and enjoyed across the world. As you can imagine, this varies a lot, so we needed to be thorough in ensuring the campaign and materials reflected as many people’s experiences with us as possible.
On a logistical level, we are celebrating our 150th anniversary campaign in several markets across the year, so ensuring we are aligned and keeping the ‘good times’ as the main message has been something we’ve needed to focus on.
LBB> Who directed the campaign and what did they bring to the idea?
Bruno> The directors were Bradley and Pablo. A great up and coming duo famous for their work on music videos for stars like Harry Styles, Lil Nas, Lizzo and many more. They bring a modern aesthetic and have a great eye for storytelling, comic timings and witty humour overall. That was exactly what the script needed in order to stand out.
LBB> Mika Hakkinen is such a fun and random cameo - how did that come about and what was he like to work with?
Bruno> The joke was in the script from early on. It’s such a unique and true insight that we just had to have it! Mika was really kind and collaborative on set and the crew had loads of fun working with him. A fun fact that he shared with us is that throughout his career the opposite of what happens in the film happened to him: people called him Mika Heineken.
LBB> What is at the core of the Heineken brand that allows it to survive and transcend all of these different cultures, languages and idiosyncratic pronunciations?
Bram> In terms of taste, Heineken discovered its special A-Yeast ingredient in the 19th century and since then, we have been able to deliver a consistent and satisfying flavour that people love, no matter where they are in the world.
More widely, our purpose as a brand has always been to spark true connections and good times over a beer, creating real moments of true togetherness by encouraging and enabling human connection – something that transcends culture, language and pronunciations and ultimately never goes out of fashion.
LBB> This campaign is all about the way the brand is embraced and interpreted by the people - and letting go a bit! As a marketer, with so many brand parameters and guidelines to be mindful of, that must be scary! But, as they say, if you love something let it go! So how do you personally navigate that tension as a marketer?
Bram> As the most misspelled beer brand, we’re not unfamiliar with the notion of Heineken being adapted, so this attitude was easier to take on than one might think. Prioritising good times over specifics is a belief integral to our DNA – after all Freddy Heineken once said, “We don’t sell beer, we sell Good Times”.
Moreover, we know that younger generations don’t resonate with brands that celebrate anniversaries by talking about their history and heritage. That’s why we decided to take the risk and thankfully, it has paid off!
