AMSTERDAM, Aug. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This International Beer Day, Heineken^® has created an emotive ad with an unexpected message: that you can forget about the beer; instead, the brewer wants you to focus on having a good time together.

“Want to grab a beer? ¿Te apetece una cerveza? On va boire une bière?” - recognised the world over as a “catch all phrase” for getting together, Heineken^® doesn’t mind if in the end you forget about the beer; as long as you are prioritising socialising.

With sociability at Heineken^®’s core, celebrating these moments is more important to the brand than the beer itself; after all, Freddy Heineken himself said: “I don’t sell beer, I sell gezelligheid” (a famous Dutch phrase meaning ‘the feeling of good times’).

To bring this brand purpose to life, the iconic brewer has created an advert, going live today on International Beer Day; that showcases how ‘forgotten beers’ on the periphery of parties, football matches celebrations or get togethers in bars, demonstrate that good times are being had. Soundtracked to Debussy’s Claire de Lune, the powerful ad shows that the best part of having a beer isn’t actually the beer itself.

With factors like digital overload and longer working hours increasingly affecting our social lives, making sure we come together for good times is now more important than ever. A recent study¹ found nearly a quarter (24%) of the global population feels “very” or “fairly” lonely, while 6% do not feel connected “at all” to others, equating to about one in every 20 people worldwide.

Heineken^® has a rich history of tackling the enemies of socialisation. Earlier this year, the brand launched ‘The Boring Phone', with no access to the internet, social media, or other apps, to help people discover there is more to their social life when there is less on their phone, as research revealed 90% of people admit to habitually scrolling on nights out².

While back in 2022, the brewer created ‘The Closer’, a high-tech bottle opener that used technology to close your work apps the moment you pop the lid off a Heineken^®.

Even for its 150th anniversary, which some may have expected to be around heritage, Heineken^® created 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. It also saw the creation of the ‘Good Times Index’, which looks at the conditions that consumers need to experience that feeling of good times.

So, for International Beer Day, Heineken®’s sentiment to good times remains just the same – way ahead of the beer itself.

Dolf van den Brink, CEO of HEINEKEN, says: “On International Beer Day, we truly get to show what the Heineken^® brand stands for—good times together! Of course, we celebrate our beer but what we're most proud of is 150 years of bringing people together, something that will remain at our core for as long as we continue to produce beer. Cheers!”

Willem van Waesberghe, Master Brewer at Heineken^® adds: “As Master Brewer, I am the first person to call out the amazing taste and quality of our beer. But today isn’t about that – it’s about the special moments surrounding our drinking experiences. Happy International Beer Day!”

The full ad for International Beer Day, ideated by creative agency LePub, is available to watch here.

“International Beer Day brings the world together, celebrating the beers of all cultures on one remarkable day. This occasion was perfect for Heineken to show once again the brands’ always-unique point of view. In fact, the campaign is an ode to good times and happiness all portrayed through the lenses of those ‘forgotten’ beers that are left behind to give space to the deliciousness of togetherness, quality socializing and friendly moments.” Bruno Bertelli, Global CEO LePub, CCO Publicis Worldwide.

Editorial information:

Please find the high-resolution campaign images here and credits here.

For more information, please contact: HNKBrand@Edelman.com

Source: https://www.heineken.com/global/en/our-story

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.

¹ 2023: Gallup and Meta: "The Global State of Social Connections"
² Dialing up nights out: Heineken® & Bodega's ‘Boring Phone' (theheinekencompany.com)

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/db2e0674-2615-4d71-92bb-3dc189d727ce