BRAND:
HEINEKEN
AWARD CATEGORY:
The Best Social Media Campaign
CAMPAIGN TIME RANGE:
7/5/2023 - 15/10/2023
CREDITS:
ICON Media, Creative: Leo Burnett. Media: Dentsu Redstar. PR: Galaxy. Event: Metan, Legato
CASE STUDY VIDEO
STRATEGY
Heineken, long renowned as a premium brand steeped in heritage, has excelled in fostering quality socialization within close and new circles. However, amidst fierce competition and efforts by competitors to elevate premiumness, Heineken has encountered a significant challenge: a decline in brand power, particularly in key regions like Ho Chi Minh City. This decline can be attributed to diminishing differentiation and salience, coupled with an inconsistent meaningful connection to resonate with premium drinkers in the value of “being-on-trend" and “looking good".
In response, leveraging the promising occasion of its 150th anniversary, Heineken embarked on a bold initiative to reclaim its dominance, aspiring to become the epitome of contagiousness among premium drinkers. Recognizing the challenge that "No one cares about a brand celebration" Heineken pivoted by inviting consumers to celebrate the good times they've shared with Heineken, regardless of generational, gender, and regional divides. As long as a Ken bottle is on hand, we have a good time. Hence, the global concept of “150 years - enjoy one way or another" is introduced. However, the key challenge is how to localize the global concept to inspire the relevant spirit to Vietnamese drinkers, also mapping with local brand demand space - quality socializing.
INSIGHT
In the vibrant social lives of premium drinkers across generations and regions, the moments that truly stand out are often those infused with a unique atmosphere and activities. Recognizing this, and through careful social listening, we've discovered a common thread: many consumers affectionately refer to Heineken as "Ken." This nickname not only evokes warmth but also serves as a subtle reminder of the distinct sound produced when Heineken bottles collide —a sound that has been embedded through countless shared memories and experiences spanning over 150 years.
This unmistakable "Ken" sound serves as a catalyst, igniting the spark for memorable interactions and experiences during social gatherings uniquely for Heineken, topping the local signature to empower the relevant meaning to “We Ken". We seized upon this opportunity to distinguish its offerings and address the unmet needs of consumers by curating chains of unparalleled experiences, with the essence of "Ken"—a symbol of good times with the promise of unforgettable moments.
CREATIVE IDEA
We introduce the campaign "WE KEN", we've crafted a social toppin to embody the campaign's spirit with a clear signal of shared enjoyment, ripe for sharing across social media platforms with the social cue "KEN CHẠM KEN".
The brilliance of this concept lies in its ability to not only evoke the aspirations but also effortlessly transport drinking moments across the multiverse—from online to offline, from reality to virtual space, and from fans to their revered idols.
"We Ken" are ingeniously deployed in ways unlike any other, gradually catalyzing from small to collective, and ending with purposeful connections. Crucially, the concept stands out of conventional "me-too" storytelling approaches, opting instead for immersive "storydoing" that seamlessly involves consumers at every stage of the campaign, including cutting edge AI technology, Metaverse engagement with personalization, offline event KENNATION and ends up with a social responsibility activities marking the promise on the next 150 years for a greener world.
CONNECTION PLAN
To fully ignite the "We Ken" party spirit, we've structured the campaign into three dynamic phases:
Phase 1: Igniting Excitement (End of July to September)
Kicking off the festivities, we launch a global video showcasing diverse celebrations of good times from around the world, highlighting unique cheers and pronunciations of Heineken in various languages. Building on this momentum, influential personalities like Erik, Mai m Nhạc, Juki San, and Quynh Anh Shyn… reimagine good times across different contexts, Ken collides Ken for good times with each others via leveraging AI transitions, amplifying by mass entertainment communities.
As attention is captured, Ken extends an invitation to the Starverse, where users design their own Heineken-themed party spaces, to allow users to ReAImagine for their good times fueled by creativity. Tempting tech gear rewards incentivize participation, while visits to other users' party towers, check-ins, shares on social media. Four leading KOLs—Cris Phan, Bray, Bích Phương, and Karik—livestream, rallying fans to vote for their favorite designs and promising surprise visits to selected party houses. This interactive experience taps into the universal desire for personal expression and the thrill of showcasing one's unique brand of good times.
Phase 2: Uniting Good Times Offline - Kennation (Mid-September to October)
As the online festivities reach a crescendo, Ken announces the most grandiose offline gathering —Kennation. Recognized that our Ken users have two biggest passion points in connecting with the brand as Music and Sport, hence, the event concept is introduced under the theme Sportainment with the outstanding KOL lineup from music, outstandingly with Alan Walker, and sport rising stars (Female FBC) and legendary male football stars to all celebrate good times across all generations. Relevant sport and music communities, TikTokers, influencers rumors up the event and galvanize participation, ensuring that every moment of the party is documented and shared across social media platforms. Through immersive experiences, attendees have been inspired to share their excitement and memorable moments with others, helping the campaign reach the top 1 discussed event in October on Facebook and top 11 trending on TikTok.
Phase 3: Sustaining Good Times (October)
Even as the party winds down, Heineken remains committed to keeping the spirit of good times alive through meaningful actions. The "A Little Greener Everyday" social movement invites consumers to engage with Heineken's renewable energy initiatives at Greener bar activations, fostering sustainable growth one small step at a time. KOLs and youth communities champion this cause on social media, amplifying the brand's favor among environmentally-conscious drinkers and ensuring that the legacy of good times continues for generations to come.
OBJECTIVE-BASE KPI
The campaign's resounding success is evident in the impressive metrics it has achieved. From July to October, it generated a staggering 843,000 buzz, capturing the attention of audiences across various platforms. Notably, the campaign garnered an astounding 25.1 million views on TikTok and Facebook combined, solidifying Heineken's position as a frontrunner in brand sentiment. This remarkable performance propelled Heineken to consistent Top 2 rankings in the Brand Sentiment Index (BSI) for both August and September, culminating in a triumphant Top 1 position in October, affirming its dominance in both campaign and event rankings. Moreover, the Kennection event remarkably achieved top 11 trending on TikTok with 8M views and whole brand Heineken reached top 26 TikTok trending with 4M views.
Furthermore, the metaverse experience saw remarkable engagement, with 1M traffic in 2 months and an impressive over 60,000 visitors attending the Kennection event. This overwhelming response underscores the campaign's ability to captivate audiences and foster meaningful connections, solidifying Heineken's status as a pioneer in creating immersive brand experiences.