Publicis Italy & Heineken’s Engaging Ventures
Part of the Dutch brewing company Heineken’s global marketing and communication ventures, are their dedicated sponsorships of the James Bond movie franchise since 1997, and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champion’s League since 2005.
Heineken’s creative collaboration with Publicis Italy, has seen the agency conceive and develop many noteworthy consumer affinity advertising campaigns involving engaging commercials and brand activations.
1. Heineken, We’ll Meet Again
Advertising Agency: Publicis, Milan, Italy
Filmed in Barcelona, Spain, under strictly controlled Covid-19 regulations, and directed by filmmaker François Rousselet, the scenario pays tribute to the creative ways people have responded to overcoming lockdown boredom by making ordinary, everyday routines something special and fun.
The commercial plays out against a soundtrack by Sizzer Music Studios In Amsterdam of Vera Lynn’s iconic, WWII song “We’ll Meet Again”.
On the ‘More About Advertising’ website, Publicis Worldwide global CCO Bruno Bertelli, elucidated the following about their global campaign:
“While the lockdown, and re-opening of cities, has been different in each country, what has connected us is our common desire to reconnect with people through social moments like nights out”.
“With Heineken’s We’ll Meet Again, we made a campaign that celebrates that human truth while also highlighting the resilience, positive and never give-up spirit of people all around the world.”
2. Heineken, Daniel Craig Versus James Bond
Advertising Agency: Publicis, Milan, Italy
Filmed on location in Spain, and directed by filmmaker Miles Jay to coincide with the launch of the twenty-filth Bond movie, the ‘No Time To Die’ commercial is an amusing take on Daniel Craig the actor versus James Bond the fictional character, suggesting that “Once James Bond, Always James Bond”.
3. Heineken, Cheers to All
Advertising Agency: Publicis, Milan, Italy
Directed by filmmaker Jason Yan Francis, Heineken’s’ Cheers to All’ follows hot on the heels of their James Bond commercial in a light-hearted view of the stereotypes that are associated with drink preferences.
It would seem that Daniel Craig’s drink swop for a Heineken has many female devotees who share his smart decision.
4. Heineken, The Wait
Advertising Agency: Publicis, Milan, Italy
On his website filmmaker and director Jack Cole describes his production of Heineken’s UEFA sponsored ‘The Wait’ commercial:
“This film was probably the first commercial shot on location in London once the first Covid 19 restrictions had eased enough to allow minimal film crew to work under one roof. It was a quick production and we had to contend with some new challenges such as cast who feature in the same shot needing to live together, wear their own clothes, and do their own makeup”.
“The film crew was about a 3rd the normal size and all decked out in PPE and using minimal kit. And the agency and client were all dialling in from their laptops from home to watch”.
“We decided to show large parts of the story through UGC material as a stylistic approach, but this also allowed us to work with actors who were isolating at home, where we would brief them to self-tape scenes. This was a first for me, but it was great giving actors the freedom to muck about and interpret stuff in their own way and send us back the results”.
“The cherry on top was a late night, bleary-eyed, virtual directing session of a personal hero – Thierry Henry”.
(Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional football coach and former player who is considered one of the greatest strikers of all time and one of the greatest players in the history of the Premier League)
5. Heineken, Unmissable
Advertising Agency: Publicis, Milan, Italy
Directed by the creative filmmaking collective of Leo Berne, Clement Gallet, Charles Brisgand, and Raphaël Rodriguez, who go by the name of ‘Megaforce’, Heineken’s ‘Unmissable’ commercial, is an amusing scenario about how every second of watching a UEFA Champions League game counts to avoid missing the sensational highlights, as they happen, in real time.
The soundtrack features American rock band Aerosmith’s song,“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”.
6. Heineken, The Trailblazers
Advertising Agency: Publicis, Milan, Italy
The Heineken brand message of expanding ones horizons as symbolised by an imaginative time travel ‘romp’, was brought to life by filmmaker Matthijs van Heijningen, with a tongue-in-cheek, cinematic epic of great visual drama, and amusing viewing appeal.
7. Heineken, The Wall
Advertising Agency: Publicis, Milan, Italy
Directed by filmmaker Fredrik Bond, this cinematic, science-fiction inspired drama stars Brazilian football player Ronaldinho (Ronaldo de Assis Moreira), facing a combative formation of opponents in a futuristic game-play scenario that is highly watchable.
8. Heineken, The Chase
Advertising Agency: Publicis, Milan, Italy
‘The Chase’ stars Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy as the action hero who is pursued by a tough street mob of his old UEFA Champions League enemies that he bravely takes on in pouring rain.
The highly filmic scenario, directed by filmmaker Fredrik Bond, is part of the entertaining analogous ‘sharing the drama’ Heineken campaign.
9. Heineken, The Last Duel
Advertising Agency: Publicis, Milan, Italy
‘The Last Duel’ casts former Polish goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek in the role of an 18th century duelist in an atmospheric drama, cinematically directed by filmmaker Fredrik Bond.
Jerzy Dudek’s nifty footwork in the thick, muddy grounds of a chateau that takes his protagonist by surprise, is highly entertaining.
10. Heineken, The Dilemma
Advertising Agency: Publicis, Milan, Italy
Directed by filmmaker Giovanni Fantoni Modena, this brand activation for the Roma versus Real Madrid match had to be meticulously planned. There would be no second chance to get it right.
The revelation of the effective outcome is over three minutes long but what makes it such compelling viewing is that it is genuine. The people involved are not actors, they are for real, and the ‘fall guy’s’ humorous reactions one can easily relate to in understanding the genuine dilemma he faced.