How do you stand out in the busiest shopping months of the year? For Heineken, we developed multiple integrated campaigns with Online Marketing Amsterdam that brought the merchandise shops in Europe to life. From Black Friday to Sinterklaas and from Christmas to rebranding, we provided smart strategy, creative campaigns and consistent visual assets. The result? More store visits, more online orders and a brand experience that seamlessly aligned with the updated Heineken style guide.

The issue

Heineken asked us to stimulate merchandise store visits during the dark winter days and peak periods. How do you create campaigns that stand out among the Black Friday discounts, respond to the Sinterklaas feeling without provoking discussion, and at the same time alleviate Christmas stress? There was also a creative challenge: the global Heineken Refreshed Visual Style Guide had to be translated online – something that had never been done before.

Our role

OMA acted as strategic and creative lead partner. We not only developed campaigns, but defined the brand and media strategy, translated the Heineken Refreshed Visual Styleguide into digital channels and took care of creative execution from A to Z. From advertising and storytelling to studio photography and content creation, we brought all disciplines together in one cohesive approach that was scalable for multiple markets.

The solution

We did not opt for separate actions, but for an integrated approach in which strategy, creation and technology came together seamlessly. OMA took charge and brought a combination of smart strategies, creative storytelling and digital innovation that helped Heineken really stand out in the most competitive period of the year.

• Unique creative hooks per campaign
  With concepts such as #Skiptheline, Writer’s Block and Shed Light, we created recognizable stories that capitalized on real consumer tensions: queues, driving stress and holiday pressure. Each concept was simple, powerful and perfectly scalable for multiple markets.
• Smart advertising tactics
  We combined social advertising, display, SEA and remarketing into one cross-channel strategy. By varying expressions daily and building urgency with incremental discounts, we were able to maximize conversion and reach without wasting media budget.
• Consistent brand experience
  By translating the Heineken Refreshed Visual Style Guide into digital assets, we made the new brand identity visible in every expression. Using innovative masked-layer techniques, we also brought the iconic green frame to life in moving HTML5 banners, without compromising loading speed or quality.
• OMA Studio as content engine
  In addition to campaigns, we developed high-quality packshots and visuals that seamlessly matched party themes as well as the technical requirements of responsive web shops. This ensured a consistent and attractive presentation of the complete assortment.

The result was a 360° campaign ecosystem in which strategy, creation and execution reinforced each other. Heineken not only got more traffic and sales, but also a brand experience that was stronger, more consistent and more relevant than ever.

Black Friday: #Skiptheline

During the Black Friday period we did not opt for yet another discount percentage, but for a recognizable insight: the endless queues and stress of bargain hunters. With the tagline #Skiptheline we brought the solution: order directly in the Heineken online store. The urgency was cleverly built with daily increasing discounts.

St. Nicholas: Writer’s Block

The Dutch struggle to write a Sinterklaas poem every year. We responded with a fresh and humorous approach: Heineken helps you to be creative and surprises you with original merchandise.

Christmas: Shed Light

Christmas means coziness, but also stress. In a pan-European campaign, Heineken used ‘the green light’ to inspire shoppers. With light-hearted, inspiring visuals and quotes, we made the holidays lighter and relevant for the online store.

Heineken Refreshed Visual Styleguide

We brought the offline style guide to online channels. Using a clever masked-layer technique, we translated the green frame – as if looking through a bottle – into HTML5 expressions without compromising on file size or quality.

Packshots and content creation

For the new arrivals in the merchandise shops, we developed packshots and visuals that perfectly matched the festive theme periods and the responsive design of the shop.

Components and services realized

We brought together different areas of expertise:

✓ Campaign strategy
✓ Social advertising
✓ Display advertising
✓ Search engine marketing
✓ Content creation
✓ Storytelling & copywriting

Result

The campaigns provided:

• Strong increase in store and shop visits during the busiest periods of the year
• Successful pan-European translation of the Heineken Refreshed Visual Style Guide
• Creative campaigns (#Skiptheline, Writer’s Block, Shed Light) that were widely recognized and shared
• Seamless integration of content creation, advertising and brand consistency

With these campaigns, Heineken not only managed to stand out in the frenzy of Black Friday and the holiday season, but also set a new standard for online brand consistency.

Want to take your brand campaigns to the next level with smart campaigns and creative content? Then contact us at contact@oma.amsterdam or call +3120 233 9175