What a great way to introduce a brand ambassador. LePub and Heineken 0.0 have avoided all the tried and terribly dull. Instead, Serena Williams arrives to surprise unexpecting padel players with a game followed by a post-match Heineken 0.0 (apparently the world’s fastest growing social sport). The commercial is set up as a hidden camera stunt with Serena’s playing partner in the know, amping up the idea that his other half is a padel newbie. The Unexpected Doubles stunt also introduces LePub’s Open Match by Heineken 0.0, a platform to spark new and spontaneous social connections – connection being Heineken’s banner.
The campaign is built on Heineken 0.0’s partnership with Playtomic, the world’s largest global racket sports booking platform and community. The partnership formed last year introduced Open Match by Heineken 0.0, a feature designed to help padel players meet new people and elevate their playing experience, while solving the common challenge of not having enough players for a match. Participants are rewarded with Heineken 0.0 or Heineken promotions after the match, enhancing the social moments that naturally follow a game of padel. Serena introduces another real-life feature, surprising Open Match by Heineken 0.0 participants with surprise guest appearances – known as Unexpected Doubles to give them the match of a lifetime.
To launch the partnership and the first Unexpected Doubles moment, Serena joined different padel players throughout the day in Miami, stepping onto the court as a last-minute “stand-in” teammate for a game they had booked through Open Match by Heineken 0.0. One game was captured by hidden camera expert director, Andrew Lane.
Nabil Nasser, global head of Heineken, commented, “At Heineken, we believe the most rewarding moments happen when people stay active, social, and open to new connections—without having to compromise. Serena represents that mindset perfectly. Her iconic presence, her confidence, and her love of padel reflect everything Heineken® 0.0 stands for: a confident choice for people who want to stay in the game and fully enjoy the social moments around it. Together, padel becomes a natural way to bring people together—on court and beyond. Serena stepping in as the first Unexpected Doubles teammate has everyone excited, especially padel players using Open Match by Heineken 0.0.”
Bruno Bertelli, CEO & CCO LePub Worldwide, added, “With Unexpected Doubles, Heineken celebrates the magic that sparks when you welcome the unknown. It transforms a simple everyday moment, like booking a game, into something extraordinary, where surprise fuels genuine emotion and shared experiences that feel real, fresh, and socially rewarding. At its core, the idea showcases the power of unpredicted encounters to create lasting impact.”
This surprise is the first of more opportunities that Heineken 0.0 plans to bring to padel players across the world this year via Open Match by Heineken 0.0. These will include opportunities to play against other Heineken 0.0 ambassadors like Serena Williams.
Celine Thom, one of the lucky players surprised in Miami, commented, “I booked a padel game via Open Match by Heineken 0.0 on Playtomic to meet new people and connect with other local padel players, but I never imagined that on a regular Wednesday afternoon I would be playing padel with the legendary Serena Williams! Playing with her was unreal, but having the chance to sit down and connect with her over a beer afterwards made it a truly unforgettable experience.”
Credits:
Client: Heineken
Head of Global Heineken Brand: Nabil Nasser
Global Communication Director: Dana Katz
Global Communication Manager: Friederike Veronika Offermanns
Head of Digital Advertising: Bram Reukers
Head of Brand & Consumer PR: Javier Macias
Global Head of BTL Marketing: Rutger van der Stegen
Global Sponsorship Managers: Annamaria Füzy, Lucia Quintanilla & Marcella Ricca Chiarelli Matarazzo
Creative Agency: LePub
CEO & CCO LePub Worldwide: Bruno Bertelli
Global Chief Creative Officers: Cristiana Boccassini & Mihnea Gheorghiu
Chief Creative Officer: Luca Boncompagni
Creative Director: Azim Abasbek
Associate Creative Director: Matteo Gemelli
Head of Strategy: James Moore
Strategy Director: David Casares
Comms & Experience Strategy Director: Max Beckers
Head of Client Service: Giada Salerno
Client Service Director: Shirine Aoun
Group Account Director: Giulia Melegati
Account Executive: Chiara Allievi
Head of PR & Communication: Isabella Cecconi
PR Director Culture & Entertainment: Alfa-Claude Djalo
Senior Digital PR Manager: Federica Fiorentino
Senior PR Manager: Eleonora Botta
Global Chief Production Officer: Francesca Zazzera
Producer: Cinzia Morandi
Director: Andrew Lane
Production Company: Washington Square Films
Partners & EPs: Han West, Joshua Blum
Line Producer: Chris Lettley
Post Producer: David McNayr
DoP: Matthew Woolf
Hidden Camera Technical Supervisor: Michael Steele
Editors: Alejo Hoijman & Fabrizio Squeo
Grading: Luca Parma
Post-Production: Prodigious
Head of Post Production: Alfredo Beretta
Audio: Disc to Disc
Music: Little Green Bag by George Baker Selection
Music Company: Sizzer
Stills: Getty Images
Photographer: Carmen Mandato
BTL: VML
