Dive Brief:
- Heineken's new "Cities" campaign includes TV spots that can be customized and localized for the 16 global markets they're airing in, according to Adweek, "We’re trying to localize a global beer brand. We’re in 192 countries, but we want to create relevance, locally, and hit passion points," Anuraag Trikha, global Heineken brand communication director, told the publication.
- Each market will be able to place messages about local Heineken events at the end of the Publicis-created spots and on social media. A skyline and flyer that appear in the story, as well the "protagonist" at the end of the ad, can also be customized.
- The latest verision of the "CIties" campaign, which is in its fourth year, features four friends who decide to break from the norm on Friday night by dressing as Medieval knights, 17th century explorers, mountain climbers and astronauts to go out to rooftop bars in their city.
Dive Insight:
Heineken's latest push highlights the challenge global brands face in molding a cohesive identity and message while still appealing to various markets with different sensibilities and interests. This problem is especially apparent when marketing through TV which has, in the past, not always been as dynamic as other channels like digital.
Including a customizable element solves some of that problem while still staying true to the broader story the spots aim to tell about breaking consumers out of their comfort zone.
The publication Campaign noted that the "Trailblazers" spots have no plans to air in major markets including the U.S., U.K or others in western Europe, though that could change, Trikha said.
"We’re choosing our platforms based on market needs, market priorities — this is one of the many platforms we have on the table," he told Campaign.
In June and July 2015, Heineken parted ways with Wieden + Kennedy as its lead creative agency and announced Publicis Worldwide as its global advertising agency. Stateside, Heineken USA recently consolidated digital and social marketing duties to Omnicom's Red Urban shop.
