Oops, the beer spilled again. It’s a summer football disappointment with which fans are sadly familiar. But this year, Heineken is making the excitement oopsie less of a loss – and adding light-hearted fun to football fandom.
Publicis London has launched HeineCare, the world’s first beer insurance policy.
It is being estimated that the UK spills almost 11 million pints every year during major sporting events. It’s clear that watching football can be a dangerous pastime for beer. HeineCare will provide beer lovers with a pint-shaped insurance policy. Whether celebrating a goal or lamenting a close call, if a beer gets spilt in the pub crowd commotion, football fans will be able to scan a QR code that can be found on Heineken beer mats and posters in participating pubs. This will take them to the HeineCare homepage where all they’ll have to do is input some basic information. They’ll then instantly receive a voucher to show to bar staff to claim their replacement in the form of a pint of Heineken or Heineken 0.0, completely free.
Pub-goers will be alerted to the scheme via a collection of activations created by Publicis London, spanning OOH, social and PR. The creative plays on popular adages like “crying over spilt milk” with taglines such as “Don’t cry over spilt beer” and “When your team wins, beer loses”. On social, Heineken will react to some of football matches’ most spill-worthy moments, such as a last-minute back-of-the-net or a controversial VAR decision.
Moreover, to celebrate the launch of the HeineCare Beer Insurance, Heineken has also collaborated with Amsterdam designer rainwear brand, Rainkiss, to develop the Pint-cho, a super lightweight, very cool beer resistant poncho that protects fans from spilled beer. Participating pubs will have a limited number of free Pint-chos available for punters to get their hands on, and a limited batch will be also available for people to win via social media (@heineken_uk on Instagram). Adding to the fun, various celebrities, football luminaries and high-profile influencers will be sharing content of themselves in their own Pint-chos, circumventing spillages, throughout the football season.
Noel Bunting, chief creative officer, Publicis London, stated, “Beer insurance is exactly the thing every football supporter never knew they needed, until now. We wanted the creative to speak directly to fans who know first-hand how easy it is to spill your beer while enjoying the match and let them know, there’s no need to worry anymore. Dry your eyes and the table – HeineCare has you covered.”
Stephanie Dexter, marketing manager, Heineken, added, “Heineken is committed to showing that being a real fan is not about how you look – it’s about how you behave and express your love for football. But in the UK, we know expressing your love for football can be dangerous for beer. So, this summer, Heineken is committed to taking on the crucial job of protecting fans’ beer.”
The five HeineCare participating pubs are:
- London – Faltering Fallback, N4 3HB
- Liverpool – Einstein, L1 4AN
- Newcastle – Wonder Bar, NE1 5TG
- Manchester – Brotherhood Manchester, M2 5WQ
- Leeds – Brotherhood Leeds, LS1 6NU
*OrderPay data from 2021. Total of 11,000,000 million pints spilt during major sporting events.
Credits
Agency: Publicis London
CCO: Noel Bunting
Executive Creative Director: Dave Monk
Senior Creative Art Director: Thiago Jacon
Creative Director: Chris Bruney
Senior Creatives: Andy Thirsk & Conor Barry
Head of Design: Ryan Connolly
Head of Effectiveness: Diego Chicharro
Senior Strategist: Joe Percy
Chief Operating Officer: Trent Patterson
Group Business Director: Josh Norris
Account Director: Philippa Rayner
TV Producer: Sid Daffarn
Project Manager: Reshma Prygiel
Client: Heineken
Head of Global Heineken & Amstel Brands: Nabil Nasser
Global Strategy & Communication Director: Daniela Iebba
Global Communication Manager: Alexander Drake
Brand Global PR Lead: Jonathan O’lone
Agency: LePub
Global CEO LePub, CCO Publicis Worldwide: Bruno Bertelli
Global Chief Creative Officer: Mihnea Gheorghiu
Groupe Strategy Director: James Moore
Creative Director: Guy Lewis
Associate Creative Director: Livio Gerosa
Global Business Director: Francesca Baldrighi
Global Account Director: Alice Galline
