Dive Brief:
- Heineken's latest campaign, "There's More Behind the Star," puts its products back at the forefront with six TV ads running through 2017 and five digital films. Actor Benicio del Toro injects humor into the debut ads, but future spots will feature Heineken's original three-ingredient recipe and the history of Heineken's founding family.
- The new campaign is a stark change from Heineken's award-winning brand image-based campaign "Legends," which the company had run since 2011.
- Heineken USA is backing the campaign with the largest media investment the brand has ever made in the U.S.
Dive Insight:
Heineken recognizes that consumers are more interested in the story behind the product, its ingredients, the way it's made, and its backstory, according to Ralph Rijiks, senior VP of marketing for Heineken at Heineken USA, in an interview with Ad Age. This realization has led to product-centric campaigns across the food and beverage industry, including Coca-Cola's one brand "Taste the Feeling" initiative and its new Diet Coke campaign.
Anheuser-Busch InBev also launched a branding and marketing overhaul for Budweiser that better aligns packaging and messaging with the brand's mantra, "Brewed the Hard Way." Budweiser and Heineken are both emphasizing heritage and product histories to prove authenticity.
Brands like Diet Coke and Budweiser are seeking a way to revive sales in the U.S., but Heineken has less pressure to do so. Excluding bar sales, U.S. sales for Heineken grew 1.9% in the year ending Jan. 24, according to IRI. At the same time, other imports like Mexican brands Modelo Especial and Corona have shaved off some of Heineken's import market share. Heineken can use this new campaign to attract consumers by promoting its products and history rather than attempting to elevate its brand image. This could push sales higher and help Heineken regain some of the ground the brand has lost to fast-growing Mexican imports.