Heineken’s ‘Sunrise’ Campaign Backs Responsible Consumption
Heineken has launched the latest phase in its worldwide goal to encourage the responsible consumption of its brands. The new theme, “Sunrise belongs to moderate drinkers,” continues to leverage the iconic Heineken premium beer brand to deliver and reinforce that message.
The initiative is a key part of the award-winning “Open Your World” global initiative, which celebrates and encourages aspirational behaviors among adult consumers. Heineken decided to roll out the program during the holiday season to maximize the message’s relevance and impact. Millions of adult consumers will get the word via Heineken’s YouTube channel, Facebook fan page and Heineken's site, as well as through broadcast ads.
“Heineken has both the opportunity and the responsibility to encourage moderate drinking,” noted Alexis Nasard, chief commercial officer at Amsterdam-based Heineken. “This approach breaks from the norm of traditional responsible consumption messages and takes a progressive stance by showing that drinking responsibly can be aspirational. ‘Sunrise belongs to moderate drinkers’ is a natural next step in our long-term commitment to encouraging responsible consumption.”
The sunrise theme will be executed through the use of various online and offline media channels, with a particular emphasis on social media. In the 85-second film “The Sunrise,” shot on location in London and directed by Fredrik Bond, the hero demonstrates how to celebrate the night to the fullest, including turning down a beer and enjoying a bottle of water instead. He ends his night by experiencing a sunrise with celebrity DJ Audrey Napoleon. The film also features an exclusive new track, “#MYSUNRISE.”
“In the film, our man of the world brings to life the powerful idea that there are no limits, when you know your limits,” explained Cyril Charzat, senior director, global Heineken brand. “We want to show that enjoying Heineken in moderation can be an integral part of connecting and engaging with friends, meeting new people and exploring new experiences.”
Developed by communication agencies Publicis International and AKQA, the program has been preceded and supported by a series of integrated experiential and digital activities. On Nov. 28, the campaign rolled out with a teaser in London, Ho Chi Minh City, Rio de Janiero and San Francisco. In each location, sofas featuring the hashtag #MYSUNRISE were strategically placed in locations offering the best sunrise view. Consumers could post photos of their best sunrise moments, tagging them #MYSUNRISE and then sending them to the Heineken Facebook page.
The sunrise images are being showcased on Facebook and incorporated into a dynamic application mapping the pictures based on the locations where they were taken. Each week, the best sunrise images will appear on the Heineken’s Facebook fan page wall. They’ll also be re-tweeted from the @Heineken twitter account until Jan. 2.