Heineken^® says cheers to the Real Hardcore Fans as thousands of fans faces adorn the celebration confetti during the UEFA Champions League Final 2024 Trophy Lift at Wembley

LONDON, June 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tonight, Heineken^® has created a way for thousands of ‘real hardcore fans’ to take part in the UEFA Champions League Final Trophy celebration, marking the culmination of the ‘Cheers To The Real Hardcore Fans’ 2024 campaign.

Following the final whistle, Heineken^® engineered a clever way that truly immersed all ‘real hardcore fans’ in the Trophy celebration. For the first time in the competition’s history, real fans were part of the official Trophy lift. Thousands of supporters were immortalised in the celebration by being included in individual pieces of biodegradable confetti, cascading from the sky, symbolising Heineken^®'s commitment to championing fan inclusion.

This season, Heineken^® has been refreshing what it means to be a ‘real hardcore fan’ by flipping stereotypes and celebrating the diverse tapestry of football supporters worldwide. The ‘Hardcore Celebration’ at the UEFA Champions League Final in London marked the pinnacle moment of a season of honouring those that go above and beyond to support the beautiful game.

Fans from around the world took the chance to be part of this ‘Hardcore Celebration’ when the teams in the final had been decided by submitting a selfie to Heineken^®’s campaign microsite. One lucky supporter that submitted an image was selected to attend the UEFA Champions League Final with a friend.

After the images of these passionate fans’ faces 'brush' against the newly appointed champions at the Trophy lift, and the confetti has been cleared away, those who took part will be left with a photo of the celebration featuring their own face, including them in UEFA Champions League history for the rest of time, thanks to Heineken^®.

Nabil Nasser, Global Head of Heineken^® Brand said:

“Tonight captures the essence of our campaign, championing fan inclusion and diversity. It's about the unique, sometimes quirky behaviours, the rituals, and the unwavering passion that fans bring to the sport. Our campaign celebrates the sport with its diverse stories and passions of our fans. We are proud to have provided opportunities like the Hardcore Celebration for fans to share their experiences and be part of this unique journey.”

Virgil van Dijk, Captain of the Netherlands National Men’s Team and Heineken^® campaign Ambassador said:

“Celebrating football’s unifying power, the Hardcore Celebration is a testament to every fan who’s cheered, celebrated or shed a tear for their team. Football belongs to everyone, transcending backgrounds, and beliefs. Heineken^® celebrates this moment, spotlighting each fan’s face, because we all contribute to football’s heart and soul.”

Heineken^® has embodied this ‘real hardcore fans’ message through a global TV advert and digital content that shares the authentic stories of our real fans: nuns serenading their beloved team every Sunday and the fans who patiently waited until 3AM local time in an airport just to secure an autograph.

To further this fan inclusivity message, Heineken^® launched a competition at the beginning of the knock-out stages, giving UEFA Champions League Final tickets away to fans that shared their hardcore fan story. Heineken^® also created the Real Hardcore Fan Club, featuring true stories from fans from across the globe, to shine a light on the unique passion that unites real football fans across the globe.

Heineken^® has been celebrating our real hardcore fans through a series of activities this season, reinforcing the idea that football is for everyone; including the LaundroMatch, where Heineken^® transformed 24-hour laundromats in Seoul into all-night meeting places, providing South Korea’s most dedicated football fans with an inclusive alternative to watching UEFA Champions League matches alone. In Peru, Heineken^® installed a giant screen on the outside of a tower-block looking into an office, so real hardcore fans did not have to miss the semi-final UEFA matches because it was being shown during working hours.

At the UEFA Champions League Final Heineken^® is showing its dedication to championing real hardcore fans that demonstrate their love for the game in quirky and authentic ways, by highlighting Real Madrid fan, Jorge.

Jorge went viral on social media because he was on a lucky phone call when his team scored the winning goal in the semi-final. Heineken^® is now giving fans from both teams in the final the chance to have their luck by creating a phone number that is active for the full 90 minutes, so they can Try Jorge’s luck by making the call...

Heineken^® will continue to challenge stereotypes by putting real hardcore fans at the centre of its football inclusivity campaigns celebrating the modern face of football fandom into next season.

To learn more about today’s activities, visit: https://www.heineken.com/global/en/confetti

To learn more about how Heineken^® is helping to refresh football perspectives and foster a more positive and inclusive experience for all fans, visit: https://www.heineken.com/realhardcorefans 

Editorial information:

Please find the high-resolution campaign images: HERE

For more information, please contact: HNKNFootball@edelman.com

About HEINEKEN:        

HEINEKEN is the world's most international brewer. It is the leading developer and marketer of premium beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken^® brand, the Group has a portfolio of more than 300 international, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders. We are committed to innovation, long-term brand investment, disciplined sales execution and focused cost management. Through "Brewing a Better World", sustainability is embedded in the business.

HEINEKEN has a well-balanced geographic footprint with leadership positions in both developed and developing markets. We employ over 85,000 employees and operate breweries, malteries, cider plants and other production facilities in more than 70 countries. Heineken N.V. and Heineken Holding N.V. shares trade on the Euronext in Amsterdam. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on Bloomberg under the symbols HEIA NA and HEIO NA and on Reuters under HEIN.AS and HEIO.AS. HEINEKEN has two sponsored level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) programmes: Heineken N.V. (OTCQX: HEINY) and Heineken Holding N.V. (OTCQX: HKHHY).

Most recent information is available on HEINEKEN's website: www.theHEINEKENcompany.com and follow us on Twitter via @HEINEKENCorp

Media Contact
Contact: Thomas Duggan & Senior Account Manager
Company: Edelman
E-mail: HNKNFootball@edelman.com
https://www.heineken.com/global/en/confetti

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9e3c1f09-8c0e-4270-bdc4-06fae3ffb805