Good Times: A Recap of Heineken’s 150th Anniversary Celebrations
Heineken spent 2023 celebrating its 150th anniversary with aplomb. The beer brand's almighty shindig encapsulated 68 markets and a veritable mix of campaigns, limited-edition partnerships, events, creators and packaging revamps, all focused on the 'good times' that it has provided since its inception.
The celebration was a truly global affair. From limited-edition Heineken x adidas trainers in Brazil, a fashion capsule with MSGM in Italy, bringing Boiler Room to Singapore for the first time and introducing Cambodia’s largest ever EDM event, the internationally known beer made it one for the books for local markets all over.
For a deep-dive and exclusive round-up of all the activities - and the 'good times' that came with them - LBB's Laura Swinton spoke with JD O’Lone, global brand PR lead at The HEINEKEN Company.
LBB> Going into 2023, what were your ambitions for your 150th anniversary year?
JD> We approached this year taking inspiration from the words of Freddy Heineken, which we believe capture our brand ethos so perfectly: “I don’t sell beer, I sell gezelligheid” (which is a famous Dutch phrase meaning ‘the feeling of good times’). (You can read more about the campaign here.)
Based on this, our ambition was to have a playful celebration of all the ways the brand has been misspelt, mis-served and adapted over the years, all to showcase how good times and sparking true connections over a beer remain our main priority. We were not short of these good times – from raves to fashion drops to limited-edition partnerships, 2023 was a milestone good time to remember.
LBB> You made the very deliberate decision to avoid looking back or taking yourselves too seriously - indeed one of the tentpole campaigns this year was very self deprecating, having fun with all the ways people misspell or mangle the brand. Why was it important to take this approach?
JD> As much as 150 was a milestone for us, we approached it knowing that people don’t care about brand anniversaries. Our brand tone of voice is always to approach campaigns with a playful and open-minded perspective, so we thought, why should this be any different?
Being open-minded and not taking ourselves seriously is a crucial trait of Heineken’s brand DNA and that needed to be preserved at all costs. Not only would talking about our heritage be dull for the consumer, it would not align to our personality and values as a brand.
LBB> You had some huge events around the world too - of course events and parties are a staple of the beverages space, but how did you make your birthday bashes extra special?
JD> We found the experiential aspect of the campaign to be particularly successful this year. Events were extra special as they brought our anniversary story to life in an immersive, unique way that engaged and entertained our audiences.
Destination Good Times was a live experience where guests could enjoy a Heineken beer whilst being immersed in a journey through global Good Times. At its heart was the Good Times Bar, which exhibited all the global characteristics of Heineken, from witty misspellings to the unique ways it’s enjoyed in different countries.
Certain markets took this up a notch to become even more relevant and exciting locally. For example, in Macedonia, we hosted an all-day party in the city park in Skopje, with five stages and 150 DJs marking our 150 years!
LBB> Speaking personally, which activations have been your favourite this year and why?
JD> Bringing Boiler Room, such an iconic powerhouse in the underground music scene, to Singapore for the first time was certainly a highlight. As a groundbreaking force with a dedicated following, and a strong commitment to producing good times, this felt like the perfect partnership for us. The stellar lineup of rising stars in the DJ scene included Jenn Chunes, Bongomann and A’alely x PETYET, which created a night to remember.
What’s more, the event featured a fashion partnership that was also activated around the anniversary: ‘He150ken | The Salvages’, a collection of exclusive t-shirts that celebrates the spirit of Good Times. It was a highlight as the activation felt so on-trend and authentic to our gen z and y target audiences.
LBB> Looking back on this special anniversary year, has it helped you learn anything new about the Heineken brand or surprised you in any way?
JD> Given such a large premise of the campaign was around celebrating mistakes, misspellings and more, the work was a great reminder to not sweat the small stuff, and focus on our true mission for the year, which in our case was bringing good times to our consumers over a beer, allowing them to spark new and exciting connections.
Discovering and embracing how the brand has been adapted (often far from its original intention) was particularly endearing, so it was a great reminder for us, and marketers in general, to stay open-minded – even if you’ve been around 150 years like us!
LBB> What response have you seen from consumers?
JD> The response from consumers has been overwhelming – on social alone, we saw over 10,000 posts dedicated to #He150ken.
The event attendees also spoke for themselves. For example, The Town Festival in Brazil, in which we acted as lead sponsor and hosted activations from a mini Heineken brewery to a zipline, saw over half a million people attend.
LBB> How has this big anniversary got you thinking about the future of Heineken and where it might end up in another 150 years?
JD> This anniversary has affirmed our plans to keep good times at the centre of everything we do, so in true Heineken fashion, consumers can expect more of the unexpected – our open-mindedness won’t be going anywhere.
While we don’t know what the next 150 years will look like, as a pioneering brewer, I imagine Heineken will continue to embrace change and innovate to meet the needs, desires and demands of our consumers all over the world.
However the brand will be enjoyed in years to come, I’m confident our purpose of sparking true connections over a beer, creating real moments of true togetherness and quality socialising, will remain – even long after my time.
