A Sizzling Launch for Heineken 3

A Sizzling Launch for Heineken 3

The Challenge

With moderation of alcohol consumption on the rise and consumers still wanting to imbibe during a lazy summer’s day, Heineken was launching a new brand, Heineken 3, its first mid-strength beer offering great taste, lower calories and lower carbohydrates. This was Heineken’s biggest product launch in 20 years, and Australia was first to market.

We needed to create awareness of Heineken 3 and its functional benefits, position it as enabling consumers to ‘have it all‘, build an affinity for the ideal occasions for Heineken 3 in the lead-up to summer and drive trial.

Heineken 3’s Summer in Winter

The Solution

We created summer in winter by building a giant conservatory over an outdoor rooftop pool in Sydney’s new 5-star Primus Hotel, heating it to 30 degrees so guests could party in board shorts and bikinis to the sounds of top DJs, play beach volleyball, enjoy ice-creams, a BBQ and Heineken 3, all while it was 6oC and raining outside.

Media and influencers were first to experience Heineken 3’s Summer in Winter, after a special tasting and briefing in the hotel’s Presidential Suite. A consumer event took place the following day.

The Results

500 people attended the two-day event
100+ media clips, reaching 32.4M (with a very commercial story!)
10.3M cumulative reach through social
Hundreds of posts from celebs and influencers
Sales15% above target, 21% share of the mid-strength beer category
11.9% of beer drinkers have trialled – more than its mid-strength competitors
Opened new consumption occasions – 52% of consumers drinking it in addition to another beer
Named in the “Top five experiential events of 2016” by global industry bible ‘Event’

Categories

Alcoholic beverages
Consumer marketing
Experiential
Event management
Media relations
Influencer relations